Parasect's Pizza
by ZweI The Penguin With a Pen
Summary: The Vengeance of Cubone's Mother, a band from Olivine City in Johto, have gotten a slot on a battle of the bands. Heimdall Erickson and his cohorts prepare to battle some of the biggest talent Johto, Kanto and Hoenn have to offer. A spinoff fanfic of the fantastic 'Pokemon Ocean Eyes' series by rainbowhuesoflife. /s/7787086/1/Umbrella-Beach-Pok%C3%
1. Big Blue Wave

**((DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon, obviously, nor do I have any affiliation with the owners of that franchise. This story and the characters I have created are all that I claim to own. Nintendo, I love you. Please don't sue me. Or do, as you won't get much of a return. Also, I do not own anything in reference to Pokemon Orange/Ocean Eyes, the work that this fiction is spun off of. Author **rainbowhuesoflife **owns that story, and this is a fanfic of their work used by permission. Well, if them thoroughly enjoying the writing and encouraging me to post it can be considered permission. WAHAHAHAH))**

 **((No, but seriously, go read my dude's work sometime. I'll post a link somewhere.))**

 **Parasect's Pizza**

Chapter One: Big Blue Wave

 **Olivine City, Johto**. A paradise by the sea. It was the largest attraction in West Johto, what with its lighthouse and its glorious shoreline where the land subsided and the ocean routes began, not to mention **Jasmine** 's incredible Pokemon Gym that drew challengers from all across the region and abroad. The clean, white sand along the beaches, the delicious eats sold at the famous Olivine Cafe, the attractions never ended. Even merely watching the waves toss and writhe was a pastime worth making the trip.

There were no tossing waves and white sand inside this tiny pizza shop, though. Only machines and customers and pizza could be found in **Heimdall Erickson's** temporary prison... oh, and also Heimdall and a few of his fellow employees. **Parasect's Pizza** in Olivine City, a mile or so northeast of the Cafe, was where Heimdall made his money, and he could make one mean pizza. He didn't make bad smoothies either. His assistant manager position was not by accident, he always said.

"I need a Pacific **Pikachu** in, please!" Called his boss Mina, the girl behind the counter. **Mina Akabara** was easy on the eyes, her short and spiky auburn hair and dark green eyes always catching compliments. She was lightly tanned and curvy, which didn't lose her any points. Her Pikachu-print fingernails moved swiftly across the register's keys as she entered the customer's order. "That comes to 1250 prize money, sir." She told him, and he passed her his Trainer Card as payment. She swiped it, smiling not-so-subtly at him.

"Thank you!" **Dennis Thorn** replied aloud, saucing a pizza sheet-out. He sprinkled shredded cheese on it and passed it down the dressing station. This food storage machine featured a countertop for preparing pizzas in front and containers of delicious berries and other food items in the back, as well as cool storage below for reserve toppings.

Heimdall took it from here, meticulously topping it with julienne sliced ham and delicious **Pinap Berries**. He threw a **Razz Berry** into his mouth as he placed his masterpizza into the oven. This three-racked conveyer belt oven was an all-gas model crafted by the Hot Hot Heat appliance corporation just for Parasect's Pizza restaurants, and this marvel of machinery could cook a pizza in as little as five minutes.

"If she weren't evil enough to give **Darkrai** nightmares, she would almost be beautiful." Heimdall joked in a whisper. He chuckled and gave a half-grin at the joke. "It's nice to hear you laugh at work. I know she can be irksome, and the job sucks the marrow out of life."

"It's been a **Shuckle** 's age since I had a good laugh up here. A shame and a half, really." He responded, still spreading sauce and sprinkling cheese onto more sheet-outs. The dough was lovely today. Gerald never sent up anything less than perfect sheet-outs when he worked the back station.

"Just think, though, Denny..." He pointed at the time clock on the wall to their left. "Before long we'll punch out and run swiftly away from here, cheering our way toward band practice. At our glorious practice, we can drown the woes of Parasect's Pizza in our wonderful music and our amazing girlfriends. Speaking of which, is Lorelei still coming to practice today?"

"Who's Lorelei?" Mina asked, sliding up to Dennis and smiling in his face. Cute as she was, Mina could be overwhelming sometimes... Especially since she grossed Dennis out.

"Mina, get out of the man's personal space. You're a whole lot of woman for Dennis, hon." Heimdall joked. She laughed as she walked over to the desk for a sip of her **Lemonade**.

"Seriously, spill it! Is Lorelei the lady I've heard so little about?" Mina pestered, earning a grin from Heimdall and a derisive sound from Dennis.

"Yes, **Lorelei Waves** is my amazing girlfriend. She's coming in from **Celadon** to watch us practice." He replied, a smirk across his unshaven face. The light brown stubble complimented his short and scraggly hair and his bright blue eyes. Dennis was thin and toned with skin slightly darker than Mina.

Heimdall kept his long and flowing blond hair pulled back with a tie, his well-kept beard showing boldly. His dark brown eyes gazed past Mina, resting on the aforementioned time clock for a moment before walking to the far end of the oven. The 'Landing' station was where pizzas were cut and boxed, and he pulled out the glorious Pacific Pikachu and did just that. Rolling his pizza cutter with precision and agility, the pizza was in eight beautiful slices with a box folded around it in no time. He passed the box up to the register, and Mina scooped it up swiftly so she could see her handsome customer once more. They exchanged goodbyes, and she licked her lips as she watched him walk out of the shop.

"MINA! **ACE TRAINERS** AREN'T FOR EATING!" Dennis yelled after her not exactly subtle gesture.

"Yes, sweetie, because that's cannibalism. Frowned upon in _most_ societies..." Heimdall injected. Mina shot Dennis the finger, paying no mind to the voice behind the great beard. With great beard comes great responsibility, they say... Who says that you ask? Nearly everyone that has a beard these days.

But anyway...

"He was so _fine_ , though!" The auburn protested, her hair spiking at her excitement.

"Sure, but any male that walks in here is fine, according to you!" **Gerald Starshade** called from the back side, where he was flattening balls of dough and transfiguring them into sheet-outs by the stack. Dennis leaned over the Dressing counter in a miserably failed attempt at hiding his laughter.

"Gee, you never miss a great joke, dude!" Heimdall called to him. The front door gave its terrible _DING_ signal, calling an end to their shenanigans. They were excellent at acting professional... _most_ of the time. A thin young woman with raven-colored hair entered, walking slowly up to the counter. Mina rushed to the register and gave her the generic greeting in an obnoxiously fake manner, as a professional might greet a customer.

"Um, I don't need any food. I just wanted to see if Dennis was here." She told Mina. Dennis waved at the girl and asked to go on break. Mina nodded, glowering as he and the woman journeyed outside.

"How did _he_ get such a cutie?" She complained, louder than she'd intended.

"Only **Lugia** could answer that... and even He would have a terrible time of it." Heimdall replied, startling Mina. She hadn't realized she'd spoken that loudly. A new customer took Mina away, and Heimdall ventured to the back of the store to assist Gerald... or so that he would _not_ strangle Mina. Whichever you find to be more believable. Dennis returned shortly, another employee walking in behind him to begin her shift. Dennis went to the walk-in cooler to grab product to restock the make-line. Heimdall cleaned their smoothie machine while Mina stood around between customers, the way she normally did. Gerald cut breadsticks in the back.

"When the premake rack is full, you guys can leave!" Mina told Heimdall and Dennis once they finished their current duties. Dennis mocked her once she turned away, Heimdall laughing at him. They topped pizza after pizza, stowing them on the rack or tossing them into the oven when Mina called for them. Once it was full, and Mina-approved, they tore off their aprons and cleaned them before stowing them away on wall hangers in the back. They clocked off and said their goodbyes before hustling out of the shop.

Outside, they found Lorelei talking to a woman with shoulder-length teal hair. She wore red jeans and a **Vile Plumes** t-shirt. She smiled cutely as she noticed Heimdall pulling out his hair tie and letting his glorious long hair fall and bounce everywhere. She jumped into his arms, grasping his left hand with her right. **Vermilion Summer** always made Heimdall's mood skyrocket, even after an altogether miserable day at Parasect's.

"Vermilion!" He announced as he kissed her soft lips. She giggled. "So what's going on at the band house?" He asked his lovely girlfriend.

"When I left, Shannon was cooking spaghetti. Of course, with him and Fuchsia alone together, I get the feeling they might be cooking up something different. Let's not hold our breath for new tunes." She said, sighing at the very idea. Heimdall and Dennis could only laugh.

"Here's hoping the damn house isn't on fire..." Dennis joked as they began walking East toward Shannon's house. It was a few miles out, just down the way from the **Lighthouse**. The southeast edge of the city was largely covered by the lighthouse, as the northwest edge was dominated by Jasmine's Gym. Jasmine was a wonderful woman with long brown hair falling down her back. She was known the world over for her kindness and strength, as well as her collection of **Steelix**. Rusty, her most famous Steelix, was an incredible specimen. Of course, he _was_ a giant serpent with steel skin.

The house was in full view by the time they saw **Fuchsia Skye** storm out the door and run up to hug Lorelei. The two were former co-workers at a boutique in Celadon, but the shop had closed since the Department Store had unbeatable prices. Fuchsia's namesake purple hair was violently short and bouncy, moving in time with her every step. She had on long shorts and a tank top.

"I haven't seen you since Celadon Boutique closed its doors," Fuchsia mentioned, the two of them hugging tightly.

"You look incredible! You don't look like you get much sun, for a girl who lives by the sea..." She joked.

"Working nights does inhibit that..." Fuchsia's words made Lorelei laugh.

"What did you change clothes for? You were in jeans and a different shirt when I left." Vermilion noticed, shooting her a look to add to her joke.

"It got really hot since Shan was cooking..."

"Yeah, Shannon is talented at making others feel hot..." said Heimdall, rolling his eyes and causing Vermilion to giggle. **Shannon Kiwi** appeared outside, greeting Lorelei when he saw her. He was a tower of a man, next to the girls and Dennis at least, tall and thin with lengthy brown hair cascading down his back. He was far less pale than his girlfriend but lacked the distinct tan of Olivine's citizens. Living next to an ocean had different effects on different people. She instantly recognized his voice when he spoke to her.

"... _You're the guy from the radio!_ "

"Yes, ma'am... I _am_ that guy!" Shannon replied, grinning from ear to ear at her expression.

"I'm glad I can catch your show in **Kanto** now! I don't think I'd be the same without it."

"I'm glad you like it, hon! It's the best job ever! I can play my favorite music and I get to meet some incredible talent... and I make MAD CHEDDAH!" She jumped at the outburst, the whole crew laughing at her. They talked for awhile in front of the house, exchanging stories and getting acquainted with the raven-haired Lorelei.

"So, shall we get on that spaghetti?" Dennis asked as they finally walked inside. Lorelei caught the smell of something delectable. She took in the sight of Kiwi's house: the living area with all the instruments set up, the tiny kitchen to her diagonal left with its incredible cooking range and hanging pots and utensils. He'd mentioned his time as a chef. She gazed around at all the art decorating the walls, pieces from across the world.

"Music first, child. Honestly, how can you eat after being surrounded by pizza all day? I would get _so fat_ at your job." He retorted, Dennis scoffing at the remark.

"You don't go there day after day and deal with the smell and the menial processes."

"And our boss could make even the happiest person want to feed himself to a **Sharpedo**..." Heimdall added. The laughs never stopped in this house.

"Yeah, we should jam first and loosen up, get a good appetite going for that godlike spaghetti," Fuchsia interjected, paying no mind to the pizza boys and their so-called problems. She took up her microphone from its resting place atop a stand, yelling into it to test her sound. She grinned at the sound of her own voice as it poured through the large speakers.

Heimdall and Shannon plugged in their guitars, Shannon playing a riff and his best friend playing a harmony alongside it. Dennis slapped the gigantic bottom two strings of his bass guitar with his thumb and plucked the same piece of music Shannon played. Lorelei watched Vermilion spin a drumstick in her left hand while tapping a cymbal with her right.

The music stopped off, and Vermilion gave her bass drum a hard kick. The band played a ring-out, a noisy random section normally used for finishing a song. Fuchsia made a deep growl as the band thrashed away at their instruments.

"Dennis told you about our music, I'm sure," Heimdall asked, Lorelei nodding. "This first one is about **Red** demolishing **Team Rocket** , back in the 90's."

"I love stories about Red..." She replied. Fuchsia stood at her keyboard and played a haunting refrain, her fingers sliding swiftly across the black and white keys. She finished that and spun a dial, playing a low chord. The dial had shifted the sound to a deep and wobbly tone. She moved a slider back and forth while rolling up her volume knob, creating a crescendo wobble. This sound reminded Lorelei of the ocean waves.

A quick cymbal SNAP broke through the wobble, and the band began playing. Their tune was intricate, fast, and relentlessly heavy. The guitars, the beat, the bass, and the vocals took Lorelei's mind by surprise. Fuchsia jumped around, her energy neverending, as she sang and yelled her lyrics about the legendary Red.

 _You'll never make it, kid. Give up the fight!_

 _I'll make sure your Boss will have one hell of a ride!_

 _This place is a maze! He'll never be found!_

 _My_ _ **Ivysaur**_ _will crush his face into the ground!_

 _You worthless bastards better run and hide!_

 _Pokémon will no longer be pawns for your crimes!_

 _Facing me in battle you should dread._

 _Cross my_ _ **Wartortle**_ _and you'll wind up dead._

 _Fall down and beg for mercy for your sins_

 _Against the Pokémon that we all call our friends._

 _You know damn well that you'll all blast off tonight._

 _Face justice by my hand. Now Team Rocket dies!"_

They played a short interlude here, a break from the onslaught of guitars and energy, before jumping right back into it with a breakdown.

" _ **Giovanni**_ _will fall! His minions all lay dead!_

 _They received all that was theirs at the hands of Red!_

 _His_ _ **Rhydon**_ _fell before Ivysaur. The battle had been tough._

 _Accept defeat the crime lord would not. He could not get enough."_

Heimdall and Shannon traded guitar solos, symbolizing a battle between Red and the Rocket's Boss, Giovanni. Heimdall must have been Red, Lorelei figured, as he _clearly_ won their little 'battle'.

" _The Boss fell to his knees but struggled to his feet._

 _Red had finished the pitiful man, so Giovanni made his leave._

 _The city was now safe. The children came out to play._

 _The hero spoke not a single word. He left_ _ **Silph**_ _and was on his way._ "

The song finished off with a dead stop. Heimdall grinned at the huge smile on their guest's face.

"You guys were incredible."

"Well, that's just our opener. It's the easiest in our set, too." Fuchsia bragged.

"That one's called "A Criminal Organization Demolished by a Kid with a Pikachu', and it's a nice warmup. The tough ones come later." Dennis told her.

"Ooh, I have a new riff to show you all," Heimdall mentioned. Everyone averted their attention to him as he played the piece of music he'd mentioned. He looked up from his guitar to see his band-mates grinning, Lorelei mystified.

"How about this?" Vermilion asked, playing a beat for the new piece. The band filed in around them, and before long they had a song together. They talked about it a bit more before continuing with practice at Fuchsia's command. ("BACK TO BUSINESS! I WANT SOME DAMN SPAGHETTI!")

They talked over their delicious meal about things apart from the band: jobs, hobbies, and whatnot. Shannon's glorious artistry of pasta, sauce, and magic was demolished and thoroughly enjoyed. Lorelei felt at peace among the band, and it was wonderful to catch up with Fuchsia.

Shannon and Fuchsia cleaned the dishes after the meal, Fuchsia dancing against Shannon's body cutely. Shannon could not help but grin at her; she usually had such an effect on him. Heimdall laughed at his best friend's ridiculous expression.

"You guys are so cute, it's disgusting. Knock it off!" He joked. Fuchsia sneered before kissing her lover's lips. Shannon flipped his hair away from his face with his left hand. The rest of the crew traded a few jokes around at the couple's expense, but Kiwi and Fuchsia paid them no mind. Fuchsia hopped into Shannon's arms as they kissed more sensually.

"We're gonna... take our party... upstairs for a while..." Shannon spoke, between kisses and rough breaths.

" _So let's turn this room into a pirate ship, and we'll plunder each other!_ " Vermilion sang aloud, Dennis laughing and Heimdall complimenting the excellent reference. Ah, Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer... so awesome. Pardon me while I make heart eyes for half of forever...

BUT ANYWAY...

Dennis and Heimdall each scooped up an acoustic guitar as the lovebirds made their way upstairs, and the two men and their lovely ladies stepped outside. They sat down in Kiwi's patio chairs and watched the waves roll and crash. Heimdall played a tune that Dennis recognized, 'Dire Dire Docks' from Super Mario 64 (one of Mario's best, to be sure). Dennis filled in the tune with his own guitar. Vermilion and Lorelei grinned at the cute music their boyfriends played for them.

"How did we ever get so lucky, Lorelei?" Vermilion asked between sips of her delicious Lemonade.

"We're the lucky ones, to be sure," Dennis replied, grinning sweetly at his lovely Lorelei.

"That was obnoxiously adorable, Denny, and I kind of hate you for that..." Heim joked, brushing one hand through his thick blonde beard before playing a new tune. The girls stood up and danced on the beach to the music of their gentlemen. Swaying and swirling and enjoying the sand beneath their feet, the two danced the time away. Dennis and Heimdall joined their ladies soon enough, and as they tired out the four of them sat by the shore for a spell. The sound of the waves took their cares away.

Lorelei sighed as she looked at the clock on her Poke'gear screen, knowing she'd need to leave soon but longing to stay in this moment. "I miss the days when the trains ran all night..." She complained.

"You could stay with me, you know! The first train could have you home in the morning." Dennis offered.

"No, I'd never make it to Celadon in time for work. I should leave tonight if I haven't missed the chance."

"You'd have to fly to catch the last train, and even then you'd be lucky to make it," Vermilion spoke. The look on Lorelei's face told her that she had no Pokemon capable of using Fly.

"This guy will get you there at the speed of dark. Meet the legendary, or so he'd like to believe, _Domino_!" Heimdall announced as he pulled a black **Poke' Ball** from his belt. A flash of white light came and went, and a **Dragonite** stood before them. Heimdall instructed his dragon to Fly the wonderful couple to Goldenrod City's train station. The two of them climbed onto the orange creature's back, and the Dragonite took to the sky.

The raven-haired girl was horrified for a few moments; soaring through the sky on a Pokemon's back she had never done before. Dennis held her tightly, and she soon relaxed and enjoyed the wind in her hair. The feeling was exhilarating.

Within minutes the radio tower came into view across the skyline. Domino spooked Lorelei by making a speedy circle during flight. This gave Dennis a laugh, which earned him a punch in the arm. They landed in front of the station with just enough time for her to hug Dennis and run for the last train.

"I love you, baby! I'll text you when I get home." Lorelei told Dennis. He smiled, kissing her cheek as Domino flew away.

"I love you, too." He told her as she departed. He walked to the northern border of the city to the Guard Station. It housed a vending machine that sold his favorite **Soda Pop** , and he was in the mood for one.

"DJ!" The guard exclaimed when he entered. **William Thompson** and his band, **The Incredibly Deadly Seviper** , had played with **The Vengeance of Cubone's Mother** on numerous occasions.

"BILLIAM!" He returned as he inserted money into the machine. CLANK! CHING CHING! His soda and change fell out. He scooped them up quickly before asking Will how things were going.

"As good as they can go. I still have the guard gig and the slot in the band, and we've made it into the upcoming Battle." The guard replied, checking his Poke'gear.

"The battle should be amazing. If we face you guys, don't expect any mercy." Dennis returned.

"I expect tears and agony when we crush you beneath our brutal tunes."

"I think that's what Heimdall was expecting from you guys! Anyway, I can't wait to hear you all play again!" The two men exchanged goodbyes as Dennis walked home, making for the East residential district where his house was hidden among the mass of buildings Goldenrod boasted.

\/\/\/\/\/

"Welcome back, Domino," Heimdall told his Dragonite once he'd made land on the beach. The orange dragon made a triumphant noise.

"Lorelei seemed to enjoy the ride, for someone who's never flown before then." The translator around Heimdall's neck relayed as it shrieked to life. "Doesn't Dennis have a **Honchkrow**? He could have flown himself and Waves home, and I could still be dreaming about **Rare Candies** and other wonderful treats." Domino exhaled sharply. "I was having this _glorious moment_ with a **Lumiose Galette** just before you woke me, Brother."

"I don't know _how_ you can enjoy those things, but I'm sorry I tore you away from your dreams of eternal snacking. Besides, Eric is only a **Murkrow** , and he's too small to carry one of them, let alone both."

"What about **Gandalf**? Surely he could have warped them to the city." The dragon retorted.

"You don't like my friends so much, do you?" Heimdall asked disdainfully. He tried to like everyone if he could, but he could see if Domino felt this way or that toward someone.

 _My dragon DON'T LIKE YOU, and he likes EVERYONE!_

Sorry... Back to the fact of the matter at hand... for me to come and control this whole thing was only part of the plan...

 _ **ENOUGH WITH THE MUSIC REFERENCES! ON WITH THE STORY!**_

Gosh, you guys are a tough crowd. Lighten up a bit. It's a relatively short story, the jokes and references add to it. Anyway...

"No, no, I _love_ your friends. I just don't like Dennis. He's like an angry **Jigglypuff** or something." Domino paused, hearing his own words and laughing at them. "He's less off-putting than John. _That guy_ is negative about everything but music."

"I won't add anything about John, but Dennis isn't so bad. I mean, Rachael can't stomach him, but she has reasons for that."

"I miss her terribly... She was wonderful, Brother. Like Shannon or Vermilion..."

"No one can be _that_ wonderful, Brother." The dragon laughed at his Trainer's words before stretching out his body, hovering in a small circle. Heimdall gazed out at the horizon, watching the waves reflect the sky. It was a clear night, and he lost himself for a long moment. The sea was his second love, second only to Vermilion. He'd met Summer during his adventures in the **Hoenn** region. The two had conquered the Hoenn League's Gyms and scoured its endless ocean, which they nicknamed the Great Sea. The ocean of his homeland took his mind back to his voyage on the Hoenn seas.

"How long have you been out here?" The voice brought him back to reality as arms slipped around his waist from the back. He turned and kissed his girlfriend.

"I'm not sure... What time is it?"

"About 1:30..." His eyes fell open at her words. He really had lost himself in the sight of the waves...

"The last thing I remember was talking to Domino and looking at the ocean..." He confessed sheepishly. She smiled softly at him, shaking her head.

"I think you love the sea more than you love me. I mean, you _look_ at her a lot more, not to mention the eyes you give her." He laughed at the remark, stroking a lock of Vermilion's hair with his right hand.

"You're more easygoing than the ocean, and better to hold... so I love you much more." She smiled again, resting her head on his chest. She shivered at an ocean breeze as it blew by them, caressing her warm skin with the cool air of the evening. Domino's translator pendant shrieked to life again, startling Vermilion and hurting her ear.

"I think it's time for me to sleep..." The Dragonite yawned. He pressed the button on his own Ball, sending a stream of red light toward him. He disappeared into the Ultra Ball. Heimdall and Vermilion agreed with Domino's sentiment. They poked inside and offered goodbyes to Shannon and Fuchsia, though she had since fallen asleep, before walking home for the night.

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

 **((A/N: The music played by The Vengeance of Cubone's Mother, at least inside my warped mind, is heavily influenced by FamilyJules7x. Specifically his Pokemon covers. 'Pikachu' is based on his 'Silph Co.' cover. You should definitely check him out. I'll drop some little stuff in these notes each time. Recommended listenings and such for anyone who bothers to read this. Catch ya next time~~))**

 **Recommended listenings:**

 **'Big Blue Wave' by Hey Ocean!**

 **'Silph Co' by familyjules7x**

 **'Argh... I'm a Pirate!' by Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer**


	2. Elements

**((Well, hello again! This is more of a filler chapter than anything, but we get to meet some fun new characters and junk. Enjoy?))**

 **Chapter Two: Elements**

Heimdall quietly strummed his acoustic guitar, playing a new tune he had dreamed up while trying not to wake the sleeping lovebirds a few rooms down. Dennis and Lorelei had spent the night with Heim and Vermilion so Lorelei could hear Vermilion's secondary music project, **Port City Sunrise**. He presumed the two of them were still asleep, at least, so he attempted to practice quietly. Doing so was difficult for him, as Heimdall often got excited while playing and would yell out or slap his guitar when he had played something really cool.

His new tune was of a medium tempo with cute and jazzy tones that reminded him of lazing away in the **National Park** just North of Goldenrod. He and Shannon had taken many rests and stops there in their Badge Quest around Johto, the two of them writing songs as they lay in the grass. They had even won a few **Bug-Catching Contests** there, back when they were a huge attraction. The Park still ran the Contests every Tuesday and Thursday, but they weren't as popular as they had once been.

Lorelei appeared in the living room of the small house, searching for something for breakfast. "There's a huge pile of **Bluk Berry** pancakes keeping warm in the oven, and we have all sorts of toppings and whatnot in the fridge. Go crazy, hon." Heim told her without even looking up from his practice.

"MMM, Bluk Berry!" She spoke, nearly salivating as her eyes turned to stars. "Wait, could you _hear_ me?" She asked, curious as to how he'd noticed her without looking.

"Yes, and you weren't stomping holes in the floor like a **Rapidash** , so I knew you weren't Dennis." He chuckled. Lorelei couldn't help but laugh. She made her way into the kitchen, her senses overpowered by the smell of Bluk Berries. She pulled open the oven and snagged herself a small stack of the glorious pancakes. She sat at the table after acquiring syrup and orange juice from the fridge.

Suddenly Dennis appeared, as if from thin air, next to the table. He'd been lured in by the aroma of Heimdall's delectable pancakes. There was something about Bluk Berries that brought everyone to the table, Heimdall had learned long ago. I could go for one of those pancakes right now... Pardon me whilst I make my own breakfast or something... No, I should write first, because I know that whoever reads this awful mess will appreciate me not stopping in the middle of a scene. Just looking out, you guys.

"So I'm dropping by the record store to see Vermilion and perhaps ruin Veronica's day. Do you guys want or need anything while I'm out?" Heimdall mentioned after the lovebirds finished their respective stacks of pancakes. Lorelei jumped at the offer.

"I wanna go! I'm in dire need of new music!" She exclaimed, jumping up to run into the other room to dress for an outing. Dennis followed fast at her heels. Heimdall rolled his eyes and sat at the piano that stood against the left wall of the living area. He lost touch with his surroundings as he played a tune to pass the time, and before long he saw Lorelei and Dennis dancing. He smacked a noisy, dissonant chord to trip them up, which worked to perfection; Lorelei almost fell over as the music stopped.

The three of them departed Heim's small house, which rested down a path East of the Gym. Jasmine would be off today, as once every month or so she closed the Gym so she could have a 'human moment' type of day, and this was the third Friday in May. He also knew she was long overdue for a human day.

The small party continued walking West through the City before turning South at Parasect's Pizza. Heimdall made a comment about the scenery in that part of town, snickering as he pressed the button on a **Great Ball** and let it fall onto the sand.

"BULBA!" Called the **Bulbasaur** as it emerged from the white light, wrapping one of its vines around Heimdall's leg. "Morning, Boss!" The translator pendant beeped as the reptile smiled.

"Good morning, Pistachio! This is Lorelei!" He told his Poke'mon, who nodded and smiled at her before wrapping the same vine around her hand and shaking it. Dennis scoffed and made a comment about Heim's Poke'mon and their manners, to which Heimdall returned by calling Mordor 'riffraff'. Pistachio defended Dennis's **Golem** , saying that she was okay as far as rocks go.

A poster in the window of the record shop caught Lorelei's undivided attention. She squeaked at the height of her voice. " _This is my favorite band in the whole world_!" She cried. The poster was for **Chesto and the Razz Berries** , an alternative jazz band from Cerulean City in Kanto. Heimdall chortled at her reaction, gazing at the plethora of other posters in the window and doorway.

"My dear friend Shania plays with them... She's mean on the flute." Heim spoke, watching Lorelei's eyes fall open.

"You _know_ **Shania Berries**?" The hearts in her eyes were more than Dennis could stand. Jealous, DJ? You should know Shania is cooler than you by default. Heck, she's cooler than ME, and I created her.

 **STOP TALKING ZWEI!**

NO, this is MY story, and I can cry if I want to!

 **YEAH... WELL, YOU COULD AT LEAST GET ON WITH IT**!

I _could_ if I were not always so _rudely interrupted_. Anyway, ON WITH THE PUMMELING!

"Yes! The first band I ever made, **The Two Towers** , was with her and her brother, Lemon. I can introduce you to her sometime." Heimdall offered. She spazzed for a moment longer before the three of them entered the store.

"Welcome to **Star IV Record Shop**! Is there any particular artist or genre piquing your interest?" Spoke a female voice from behind the counter. A woman with pitch black hair and half-moon glasses leaned against the counter. She wore a bright smile that faded when she saw Heimdall. "You just _had_ to come in here and ruin my day! Don't you understand that you're bad for business?" Dennis and Lorelei were taken aback by the woman's attitude, but Heimdall only giggled at her.

"You hush! I'm _great_ for business, seeing as I've bought nearly _every record I own_ from here!" He returned. **Veronica Shoal** scoffed. The two talked for a moment before Heim marched off to find Vermilion, despite her warning that he was NOT to be in the back of the store. Dennis and Lorelei browsed a few aisles of music, though they did more dancing than searching.

"Baby, we're in a store!" Lorelei protested.

This did not stop Dennis from pulling her close to him and swaying in time to the music that poured over the stereo. They exchanged whispered love words as they danced.

"Veronica, are you carrying the new **Pagan Heart** record?" Heimdall asked eagerly.

"She will be once it's finished... We still have a session or two, unfortunately. Obsidian is exorbitantly particular about her vocals." A new voice spoke up. A short girl with brown hair appeared from the next aisle over. She was itty-bitty, especially next to Heimdall. She wore a purple shirt representing the **Feraligatrs** , a post-hardcore act from **Saffron City**.

" **Agate Stone**! Er, I mean, Lyric!" Heimdall cheered, hugging her neck. His huge arms swallowed the tiny woman.

"Yeah, I don't see how we ever make deadlines with her losing sleep over her vocals. Seriously, she's perfect every time." The itty-bitty scoffed at her own words, whipping her brown hair around for no reason. "Speaking of records, where is this Vengeance record I've been waiting a thousand years for?" She joked, lightly punching him in the shoulder.

"We all have real lives, hon. We've been writing like crazy, though, and we're gonna pool our funds and buy some time at **Seviper Studios** down in Goldenrod... One of these days." He caught up with Lyric and her band-mate and sibling **Malachite 'Stitch' Stone** , who was closer to Heimdall's size. **Obsidian Dagger** and **Quartz Crystall** , stage-named 'Pagan Heart' and 'Dragonair' were the other two members of the band, though they were back home in **Mahogany Town** tracking vocals for their upcoming release, _The Crater Caused by_ _ **Gyarados**_.

Pagan Heart's Halloween-styled music was known all across Johto, and Shannon had interviewed them a few times for the radio. Heimdall had met them through him and become friends with the four of them. He'd even sung for one of their songs, "Serpent of Steel", a tune about Jasmine and her Steelix.

Heimdall and the lovebirds collected the records they'd stumbled upon and left the shop, exchanging goodbyes with the Stones, Vermilion, and Veronica. Dennis had to be home soon, as he'd been called into work and needed to prepare. Heimdall hugged the both of them before walking home. Dennis took out an Ultra Ball and beckoned Gandalf, his **Alakazam**... but in its place appeared Graveyard the **Gengar**.

Graveyard wore a downright malicious grin across her face, accentuated by her large scarlet eyes. She only looked spooky, though. She wasn't the sort of ghost to drain one of his or her life at will. One cannot help the face she was given, though Graveyard tried her very best to look less horrifying.

*sob* IT'S ALRIGHT GRAVEYARD! I THINK YOU'RE ADORABLE! STAY SPOOKY, GIRL!

Sorry...

Dennis returned his ghost to her home and sent out the intended Poke'mon, commanding the aptly named Gandalf to warp them to his house. The yellow creature nodded, waving his two spoons around and distorting the scenery.

Suddenly they appeared right outside the house in question, and the couple said their goodbyes as Dennis stepped inside and Lorelei made for the train station.

\/\/\/\/\/

Parasect's Pizza's legendary Friday night buffet had drawn a monumental crowd, the way it often did. The lobby's booths and tables were filled with locals and tourists, and the younger folks were playing games in the arcade located at the back of the dining area. Heimdall was thankful to be on this side of the house; being behind the counter was sure to be a nightmare in such a rush.

"Thank you for choosing Parasect's Pizza!" Mina told Heimdall and Vermilion as they approached the counter. Heimdall could hardly stand eating here, but Vermilion loved the food and at least they had tasty smoothies. Making Vermilion happy made Heimdall happy, so it made for a good date night.

"Good evening, Madame Akabara! Two for the buffet and a Pinap Berry pizza, please! Also, two incredibly crafted smoothies. I'll have **Rawst** and **Watmel Berries** if you don't mind," Heimdall told his boss. It was easier to talk with her when he was a customer.

"I'll just have **Nanab Berry** , please," Vermilion spoke. Mina grinned at the two of them as Heimdall paid. Mina ventured to the back for a moment, and Gerald appeared with the two smoothies. Heimdall slipped him a tip for his troubles, knowing he was supposed to be on a different station and was only running smoothies because Mina was off doing who-knows-what.

The couple sat their beverages at a booth and made for the buffet line, each filling a plate with slice after slice of delicious pizzas. Vermilion begged Heimdall to teach her to make these glorious pizzas, but he would do no such thing. He assured her he could prepare much tastier pizza himself. She made a face at that like she always did, and he chuckled at her.

Mina appeared with their Pinap pizza, all snazzy for buffet night with her hair brushed out of its usual spike. She wore orange eyeliner to complement her red-orange work shirt and black slacks. The couple made certain to only speak to be polite, as Mina would gossip about anything she heard. They spoke more freely once she went back to work, enjoying their pizza and a few arcade games.

He gave his cohorts a farewell greeting as he and his love left the restaurant. They walked toward the shore, holding hands in the fading sunset. Once they'd found a suitable spot, they spread out a towel and tossed their things around it. He stripped away his shoes and placed his wallet, Poke'gear and other vital items inside them, tossing his shirt over them as he took it off also. Vermilion played music off her own Poke'gear, plugging it into a set of speakers so they could hear it over the crashing waves.

"You look stunning in those shorts, dear." He complimented her. She grinned and backed up against him, wriggling her body against his. He planted soft kisses on her shoulders as they danced to the tunes from her Poke'gear. Shaking at the feel of his lips against her shoulders, she reached back and lightly scratched his abdomen. He smirked and pulled her closer, the two of them dancing harder as the music increased in tempo.

He grabbed her hand and spun her. She shrieked happily and pulled him into a deep kiss, their lips colliding heavily as they continued dancing. Before long, the moon had taken control of the sky and was on her nightly rise, so the two of them stowed their items in spare Poke' Balls before running down the beach and hopping into the ocean. They swam out to a small island and walked up the shore to a rock formation.

This was Heimdall's secret place, and he'd only ever taken a few people here: all four of his closest friends as well as his dear Vermilion. They climbed to the top of the relatively small rock wall and sat, Heimdall hanging his legs over the edge while Vermilion backed off from the edge in favor of a safer spot. They gazed at the moon as she rose higher into the clear night sky.

"So... What are we going to do about this situation?" Vermilion asked, breaking the long silence. Heimdall could only sigh.

"I don't know, honey. I can't help feeling like this will explode in our faces, but I don't know how to change that."

"I think things will work out. Fuchsia is focused on music more than ever, and we play incredibly well together... even _with_ Dennis!"

"The question is not how well we perform... Dennis is an exceptional bassist, to be sure, but our singer hates his guts... and the rest of us aren't so fond of him either. The question is could we coexist this way on tour?" He tossed a pizza crust into the ocean. A **Remoraid** sprang out of the water and snagged the crust midair. DINNER!

"Why does she hate him? I mean, I can tell he's a douchecanoe, but that doesn't merit hatred."

"A long time ago, in **Canalave City** , there was a band called **Judgment of Arceus**. This band consisted of Fuchsia Skye on keys, **Rachael Waters** singing, **Azure Skye** playing bass, and two other dudes whose names escape me. Rachael had a relationship with Dennis, and one day he up and left her, never to be seen again. Rachael could not bear the thought of him turning up wherever she was and was fed up with the scenery in Canalave and **Hearthome City** , her hometown, so she left Sinnoh altogether.

"She wrote Fuchsia and the guys a letter, addressed to Fuchsia. It was lost in transit and delivered three years later after the remaining band members had split and moved on with their lives. Judgment of Arceus was Fuchsia's whole life, and Dennis caused its downfall. That's why she hates him. Also, I don't like him because he runs his mouth all the time."

"Yeah. He fits our music, though." Vermilion attempted.

"We shouldn't have to stress when we practice or write, and Dennis causes that. None of us wants to face that, but we might have to soon enough." They fell silent again, the waves and the seabirds providing their current soundtrack. "I'll stick it out as long as I can, but this band will survive... with or without Dennis Thorn."

"You're so determined, Heimdall! It's one of my favorite things about you..." She gazed into his eyes, planting a kiss on his bearded cheek.

"My favorite thing about you is pretty much everything..." He grinned as he kissed her cheek. She rested her head on his chest, glimpsing the moon in her peripheral vision.

"Is that a ring around the moon? Damn, that means a storm is coming." She complained, producing a **Dive Ball** and unleashing a Pelliper. Heimdall sent out Jane the Kingler and took to the sea as Vermilion soared through the air. They checked their items and walked slowly toward home.

"At least we made the most of our evening..." He told her with a grin as they walked into the house. A crash of thunder came as soon as the door closed behind them.

\/\/\/\/\/

Fuchsia was beginning to think she'd seen the most of her night. A duo of Ace Trainers and a Super Nerd had come to browse her little shop (and the poor Super Nerd was in dire need of a wardrobe change), but things had been slow at **Shades of Fuchsia**. Having her own clothing store was an adventure every day, and since the Department Store didn't have one anymore Skye made mad prize money. She performed her usual closing duties and locked the shop up for the night.

"Good morning." A voice she couldn't wait to hear spoke as she walked out the door and locked it. Kiwi hugged his girlfriend tightly, the two bodies swaying to the radio's music. "I have a couple hours free before the Pagan Heart interview since they won't show up until around six. Since you're closed, would you wanna snag up some breakfast?"

"That sounds delicious. **Clefairy's Kitchen** sound good? I think Razz should be working." Kiwi nodded at her suggestion, and the two of them left the Underground Bazaar by the nearer exit to the south. This led them into the heart of the west side of Goldenrod, a mix of business and residential real estate.

Clefairy's Kitchen was a tiny diner not far from the Game Corner. Kiwi and Fuchsia knew the people here, as they were regular customers and _everyone_ acted as though they knew Kiwi. They walked inside and took their seats. Fuchsia ordered a huge omelet, and Shannon went with an egg sandwich. They talked the time away over coffee and their meal, discussing band troubles. There was a lot of talk about their troubles lately. Dealing with Dennis was becoming difficult for all of them.

Hate is a strong word, but they really, _really_ , _**REALLY**_ don't like him, you might say.

 _But I really, really, really don't like you_! I mean, I understand. To be honest, he's not my favorite character either.

 **HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING?**

Mostly because it's true. The person Dennis Thorn is based on ended up doing some horrific things that I'd sooner not mention and even before said awful happenings he was kind of a whiny prick.

 **...YOU'RE NOT WRONG...**

See, audience? I don't have to introduce you all to my power tool. You already know the drill.

I'll seriously stop... for now. ANYWAY!

"So are we gonna do something about Dennis?" Fuchsia asked. Shannon's expression changed at her words, the euphoria created by the taste of his sandwich replaced with the annoyance and confusion of what they needed to do about Dennis.

"None of us can stand him, but he might be the only bassist we can find. I mean, our music is tough to follow. Hopefully, we can pull this mess together in time for the battle."

"We'll be fine... Even if you and Heimdall think some tragedy will befall us." Shannon laughed at that.

"Don't encourage him! Vengeance is terrible!" Their waitress joked as she appeared with more coffee.

"GET THAT TRASH OUTTA HERE!" Shannon retorted, snapping his fingers sassily. **Raspberry Juice** was a shapely waitress about the same height as Fuchsia. Her emerald hair was long and flowing, and her bright eyes were the same color. "So what are you up to these days, Razzle Dazzle?"

"I've been writing a mountain of lyrics since Raven and I parted ways. I think she might be gone for good this time. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss her, but I'd also be lying if I said I wanted her back." The green-haired woman chuckled at her own words. "Pomegranate is still out conquering the world with his **Nidoking** , and I'm still hanging around **Azalea Town** when I'm not stuck in here."

"Is school going well?" Kiwi asked.

"It's sort of been on hiatus. I'm not sure what I want to do with myself..."

"You should see about cutting a demo tape. You sing exceptionally well, and you have great piano chops."

"I _did_ have great piano chops. I'm sort of rusty. I didn't play a lot when Raven was around. She hated music." Fuchsia gasped at Raspberry's words.

"Good thing you're rid of her, then! Sing something for us!" She begged, but Razz shook her head.

"I need to get back to work. It was wonderful seeing you, as always." The two of them stood and hugged her. Shannon requested a to-go cup for his coffee and slipped her a tip when she returned with it. _Don't forget to tip yo' waitress_!

"Looks like it's back to the grind for me. For now, we must part, my love." Kiwi told his girlfriend. They embraced tightly for a long moment, enjoying the warmth in the morning chill. They kissed softly as they pulled away.

"Have fun, love. I'll see you on the radio." Fuchsia told him before sending out **City Bird** , her **Pidgeot**. She climbed onto the enormous pigeon's back, and the two of them took to the skies. Shannon watched them soar away until they were out of sight. He took to the Underground for a swift return to Radio Tower.

"Aren't you supposed to be _inside_ the Radio Tower, carefully hand-picking tunes for all of Johto to jam to?" The familiar voice of Obsidian Dagger caught his ear. He spotted her and her band-mates as they clambered toward the tower. He hugged the four of them tightly, making certain to give Malachite an extra good hug.

"Well, waiting for you people all damned night made me work up quite an appetite, so naturally I put the tunes on AutoPilot and snagged some breakfast with Fuchsia. I made it back in time, didn't I?" Kiwi replied as the lot of them stepped through the Radio Tower's glass doors. 'Neurotoxin' by the Vile Plumes poured over the airwaves as they entered. "See? AutoPilot isn't doing so badly!" He told them as they made their way to his studio for the interview.

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

 **((A/N: Yeah, I'm giving Denny a bad rap, but he will more than deserve it by the end of this thing. His basis turned into a vile creature some time after the initial writing, but I couldn't really tear him out of the story. Oh well, whatever, nevermind.))**

 **Recommended Listenings:**

 **'Elements' by Lindsey Stirling**

 **'National Park' by Familyjules7x**

 **'Hate (I Really Don't Like You)' by Plain White T's**

 **And pretty much any song by Kristen Lawrence, the incredible creator of Halloween carols.**


	3. The First Punch

**Chapter Three: The First Punch**

Before the band knew it, the Battle was upon them. The event would be similar to a tour, with each round taking place in a different city. Round One was to be in Goldenrod City in the Underground 'Palace', a vacant area in the bazaar that once held a Team Rocket Hideout. Round Two would be in **Lilycove City** , Hoenn at the Purple Mudkip club. Vermilion was ecstatic for that since her family lived in Hoenn and would be a short flight away. They would have to make it past **Secrets Beneath Tohjo Falls** , a metal band from **Viridian City** in Kanto.

Lorelei was confident in Vengeance, even though she had no idea how the other band's music would sound. "So what's your set going to be?" She asked them.

"We're doing 'Pikachu', 'Forever', 'Vengeance', 'Traffic Officer', and 'The Dragon's Lake' for the first battle," Fuchsia told her. Lorelei's eyes turned to stars at the thought of 'Forever Clocks in Five Minutes' and 'The Vengeance of Cubone's Mother', as those two were her most favorite songs. 'The Dragon's Lake' was an old song they had never played in concert with lyrics about the **Lake of Rage** , a lake North of Mahogany Town.

" **Lava Cookie** is doomed... Just saying." Dennis chuckled. The punk-ish five-piece act from **Slateport City** didn't make bad music or anything, but a battle against The Incredibly Deadly Seviper would demolish them. It was nearly a foregone conclusion that Vengeance and Seviper would be battling one another soon enough. "Probably **Hyper Beam** , too. They have to battle **Dearest Misty**."

Dearest Misty, hailing from across the water in **Cianwood City** , had been called the 'heaviest band in Johto' by many notable sources. They would most certainly overwhelm Hyper Beam. Heimdall wondered how Soda was doing. **James 'Orange' Soda** had been a famous name in Azalea Town for his speed raps, but he moved to Hoenn to help form Hyper Beam. He ended up being the only member with any real talent or skills.

A knock came at the door while they were between songs. Shannon answered it and found an **Espeon** standing on the front patio. "Aqua?" He asked. The Espeon responded with a cry, though only her Trainer's translator would notice.

"She was eager to see you, and Quartz seems to be playing Hide and Seek with Kairi. She loves fading into the dark to mess with him." Obsidian called, just stepping off the sand and onto the concrete.

"Well, guys, it looks like Pagan Heart is visiting..." Shannon called to his band-mates. Heimdall slung his guitar off himself and made for the door, hugging the incredible woman before him. Obsidian and Malachite were his favorite members of the band, as they reminded him of **The** **Apricorns** , Shania's mother's old band. Obsidian's singing sounded dangerously like **Acai Berries** , and 'Stitch' could make a beat as well as **Olive Vines**. He loved all of them as well as their jazzy-poppy-Halloween-style tunes.

"Did you guys bring the Kingdom Nine with you?" He asked expectantly, hoping to see the bands collective family of **Eevee** evolutions. Obsidian nodded, smiling at Heimdall's reaction. Quartz appeared soon enough, Kairi the **Umbreon** trotting along beside him. The tall and thin man had slick brown hair that fell just below his chin.

The Stone sisters, Agate and Malachite, appeared seconds after from nowhere, a **Kirlia** between them. "Thank you, Namine." Agate's Kirlia gave a polite curtsy at the compliment before the tiny woman with the brown hair returned the Poke'mon to her Heal Ball. Malachite's blonde hair tossed in the breeze.

"Heimdall would like us to present the Kingdon Nine to his band-mates," Obsidian told them, and in moments a line of Poke'mon stood on the patio: Sora the **Eevee** , Terra the **Vaporeon** , Axel the **Jolteon** , Ventus the **Flareon** , Aqua, Kairi, Roxas the **Leafeon** , Riku the **Glaceon** and Xion the **Sylveon**. Fuchsia wigged out at the sight of them all.

Her love for Eevees is on a level with mine... and I'm ALL ABOUT EEVEE! All of his evolutions are amazing. Now if only Arceus (KOFF Nintendo KOFF) would bless us with a Ghost-Type Eevee...

 **WE'RE NEVER GONNA SEE THE END OF THIS STORY...**

Well not with _that_ attitude! Anywho...

"So, to what do we owe this wonderful visit?" Shannon asked the guests.

"We'd actually like to invite you all to a show tomorrow night. We'll be playing at the Three Beasts in Ecruteak with **Piercing Veilstone**. I'm given to understand that you know _them_ , also?" Quarts answered, seeing Heimdall nod. "Good, good."

"I did _not_ know they were in Johto. They must be hanging around for the battle." Heim injected. That brought them to a new conversation. The two bands chatted away, catching up and reminiscing. Vengeance even played their guests a couple of their newest songs.

\/\/\/\/\/

Heimdall sauced yet another sheet-out, this one for the crew's feast. Gerald and Dennis chatted away on the back side, Gerald smashing sheet-outs and Dennis making dough. Ugh, dough must have been the most monotonous and time-consuming part of the job. Fifteen to twenty batches a day to cut, measure and roll... and each batch had to be stowed away in a certain amount of time or it would make for awful pizzas once it proofed. Heimdall was running the entire front side alone, as he usually did, serving customers, prepping and cooking, making smoothies, et cetera.

"What do you guys want on the pizza?"

"Hamburger!" Dennis replied.

" **Tamato** berries!" Gerald added.

"So our pizza is a cheeseburger... Cool!" He joked, topping the pizza with their requests and his own preferences. He looked upon his masterpiece, stacked with sliced Tamato berries, flecks of beef, zesty cheese sauce and Heim's special **Rabuta** Berry zest that he kept with him for emergencies. He slid his glorious creation into the oven just as a customer walked through the front doors. _DING_! He fixed up the smoothie the young man had ordered, made the sale and ventured to the back to help Dennis once the customer left.

"This day will not move fast enough! I want to be in Ecruteak City now!" Heimdall complained as he picked up a ball of dough and rolled it tightly. He could not wait for the amazing show Pagan Heart would put on, and Piercing Veilstone would make for a great show also. **Rachael Waters** and her cohorts made delicious music that always touched Heim's ears the right way.

Another awful _DING_ came from the front door, though this one was punctuated by a cry of 'IT'S JUST ME!' from a familiar voice.

" _It's just me, and I'll find a way to make it! There's no one left to stop me..._ " Gerald caught himself singing as a short woman entered their area.

"SMOKE!" Heimdall yelled. He would have hugged her, but his apron was covered with flour, and she was dressed in her stepping-out duds. "Are you coming to the show with us tonight?"

"Of course. That's why I'm dressed to kill, dude." The tiny woman with the bright silver hair spoke, waving her untamable hair to the left.

"If looks could really kill, then your profession would be staring..." Heim sang. **Smoke Stack** caught the reference and continued without missing a beat.

"I only do this because I care, not for the thrill." She sang back. Smoke had been friends with Heimdall for what seemed like an eternity, ever since she'd moved to Olivine when she was eleven. Young Heimdall had once really liked her, but he'd realized quickly that she had not shared those feelings. She'd moved back to Sinnoh soon after Heim's father, **Bragi** , had passed away, so they were apart for a long time.

Now they both lived in the wonderful seaside city, and when not working they hung out together when they could find the time; between his music and her artwork, there was almost no free time to be found. Her mesmerizing visual artwork never ceased to amaze Heimdall.

She chatted up her coworkers for a moment longer before making herself a tasty smoothie and making her leave, promising Heimdall she'd see him in Ecruteak. The rest of Heimdall's shift ran smoothly enough, and after a shower and a change of clothes, he flew to Ecruteak with Domino.

 _You wanna mess around? Well, come on. Let's go! I've got no time to waste! Let's start the show!_

 _I'm the one that your mama said..._ Okay, I'll stop that lyric there since it doesn't really pertain to anything. JEFF AND CASEY FOR THE WIN!

\/\/\/

And now, here's something I hope you'll really like...

The Three Beasts was a small club in the midst of Ecruteak City, about two blocks South of the Gym. A cozy little spot it was, featuring a coffee bar and tables around the venue and a small stage off to a corner. It was much like the cafe's that dotted the **Kalos** region.

Rachael and Fuchsia caught up while Piercing Veilstone hauled their gear up to the stage. **Vanilla Bean** took the duties of guitar, **Karma Jewel** provided the bass, and **Sara Sanchez** put down the beats. Rachael sang lead and played some guitar. Their set lasted seven songs, ending with 'A Dream Amid the Waves', which Rachael had written with Heimdall so many moons ago. Their night on the beach just outside **Petalburg City** rushed to his mind.

And speaking of memories, who should catch his eye next but two incredible former band-mates. The incredible **Blackberry Vines** and the incorrigible **Lemon Berries** entered the club. He yelled 'GAAAAAAYYYY!' and pointed at them when they looked, his usual means of summoning them. The couple sidled over to him to talk.

Blackberry's glorious blond hair cascaded around him from all sides. He was garbed in black, as per usual, his dark eyes shining behind the lenses of his glasses. His boyfriend, who was also Shania's brother, had shoulder-length hair of a deep purple hue. He wore a bright pink shirt and black jeans.

"I hope my sister will come through for the battle..." Lemon mentioned during their conversation.

"Well, at least two of her favorite people are taking part, so she might come hang out with us." Heimdall encouraged. He missed Shania terribly.

"We're gonna smash you guys in the battle! I hope you know that." Blackberry stated, rolling his eyes at Heimdall.

"We'll be scraping you guys off the bottoms of our shoes." Heim returned. A little trash talk never hurt anybody. The lighting in the club shifted, alerting the crowd that Pagan Heart would be playing in moments. The audience shrieked for their main event. Heimdall whooped as the stage lights flashed. The room felt as though it would catch fire from the raw energy.

A lone piano riff cut through the noise, soon followed by Obsidian's voice, pouring from the microphone and commanding the attention of everyone in the place.

" _Hand in mine, into your icy blues, and then I say to you, 'We could take to the highway.' With this trunk of ammunition too, I'd end my days with you in a hail of bullets_!" The vocals dropped off as Malachite's drums and Quartz's guitar built the song from a piano refrain into a dark and heavy masterpiece. Agate's bass was not unheard either, her strong slaps and hard plucks cutting through the louder instruments.

The music shifted into an original song, Dagger's keys creating a dark synth drag for the band to follow. Heim recognized this as ' **Dragon Rage** ', one of his favorites. He danced and jumped around to the tune.

"As you might have heard somewhere, we are Mahogany Town's very own _Pagan Heart_!" Obsidian spoke as their song finished, the crowd shrieking with delight at the mere sound of her voice. The thick woman with the sandy blonde hair always commanded attention on the stage. "We've been away too long, Ecruteak, and you can blame me for that if you wish. However, holing myself up in the studio has had its ups: the new album is done! We just mixed it and everything else, so it should be coming to a record shop near you soon enough! It's called _The Crater Caused by Gyarados_ , look for it!" The audience writhed and screamed at the words.

Pagan Heart played eleven songs. Kiwi and Heimdall were invited to join them for 'Serpent of Steel', which turned the song into an epic. After the concert, they found a 24-hour diner and caught some dinner/breakfast with the band. The battle was in a day now, and Pagan Heart wished their friends luck in the competition.

\/\/\/\/\/

The Vengeance of Cubone's Mother was getting one final practice in before the big battle began, jamming in front of Shannon's house the morning of the battle. They were leaving for Goldenrod early to roam around the city and promote. Each band had been given a stack of flyers for the event:

 **Continental Battle of the Bands**

 **Round One**

Featuring:

Secrets Beneath Tohjo Falls (Viridian City, Kanto)

The Vengeance of Cubone's Mother (Olivine City)

Hyper Beam (Lilycove City, Hoenn)

The Incredibly Deadly Seviper (Goldenrod City)

Dearest Misty (Cianwood City)

Lava Cookie (Slateport City, Hoenn)

The Feraligatrs (Saffron City, Kanto)

Here There Be Dragonite! (Blackthorn City)

 **The overall winning band receives a record deal with the** Dubious Discs **label and a slot on the upcoming** Kingler Kult **Hoenn Tour!**

An audience had built up before they knew it, and they played some extra songs for their wonderful crowd. Heimdall thanked them all for 'making us nervous' and invited them all to the show that night. The crowd dispersed as the band began taking down their equipment and stowing it away in spare Poke' Balls, a neat trick Vermilion had taught Heimdall once upon a year.

Get ready, readers... or reader, since I'm sure only one person will read this trash... But anyway, here comes the best character in all of my awful writtens.

 **CRYSTALLE THE PENGUIN?**

...that's rude. She's from a completely different story. She _is_ amazing though.

 **CONSTANTINE FRATELLI?!**

YOU STOP THAT!

Coni is wonderful, but also from a different story. For an audience that's always rushing me, you people _sure excel at interrupting me_! Oh, well...

"That's a nifty little trick..." Spoke a female voice that made Heimdall's ears perk up. Could it be her? He turned away from his packing to see a woman with spiny purple hair and rectangular spectacles sporting thick black frames. She wore a band tee representing Kingler Kult under a denim vest, and purple jeans with Haunter printed on them. Draped over her shoulder was an orange messenger bag with a Spinda patch stitched onto it.

Heimdall hugged her tightly once his hands were empty. "I was just talking about you the other night, to your brother. What brings you to my seaside city?" He asked her.

"Well, I'm going to show up at the battle to surprise Lemon and his mates, since I have a speck of time off. I came to Olivine because I wanted something delectable from the cafe'. I didn't know you guys were playing the battle, too..." She responded, her dark purple eyes gleaming at the thought of seeing her brother's band _and_ her best friend's in the same show.

"If we win the first bout, we will probably battle Seviper, which would certainly be something to behold. Hey, my friend would love to meet you, if you have a bit of time." He mentioned while packing small implements of gear into a backpack. Once everything was ready, he threw a Poke' Ball and watched his rig flash and disappear. Pistachio the Bulbasaur caught the falling ball and flung it to Heimdall with a vine. "Thank you, 'Stach!" He praised.

"Sure, boss!" Heim's translator beeped as the Bulbasaur danced excitedly. Shania's eyes turned to stars at the adorable reptile, whom she leaned forward to pet. He wrapped a vine around her hand, his handshake startling her until she realized it was a friendly gesture. "My name's Pistachio! You know my boss, so you must be alright!"

"OH, MY MEW THAT'S ADORABLE!" She spoke, also complimenting Heim on his well-mannered Poke'mon. "I'm Shania, and Heimdall used to play music with my brother and me, so I've known him for ages. I bet you'd love my dear friend October!" She pressed the button on a Ball at her waist, and a **Totodile** appeared from the flash of light. October and Pistachio roamed down the beach to play together.

"You guys put on an incredible impromptu concert," Lorelei told Heim as she walked outside with a pile of sodas for everyone. She noticed Shania instantly, though she stood in shock for a moment. The purple-haired superstar waved and smiled at Lorelei, who threw the sodas into the air and ran up to hug her idol. Shania spoke to Lorelei between bursts of fangirling, and they even exchanged Poke'gear numbers so Shania could contact her about upcoming shows.

"Heim, the new music sounds marvelous, and I wish you luck in your forthcoming competition. Alas, I must depart for Goldenrod and surprise my brother." Shania told her longtime friend before she departed for the cafe'. Lorelei still had stars in her eyes from the encounter.

"I have _Shania Berries'_ phone number!" Lorelei _squee_ d loudly.

"... and I have a mark on my face the shape of a soda can..." Heim joked, feeling much like Pitfall Harry in that one game with Quick Claw the talking cheetah.

' _I'm not sure how I can talk... One morning I woke up, and instead of saying 'ROWR!' I said 'Oh no, not monkeys for breakfast AGAIN!' And it was then that I realized...'_

 _'...that you could talk?'_

 _'Yes, and also that I HATE EATING MONKEYS! The meat is tough as all get-out...'_

What? They can't ALL be music references...

Anyway, ONTO THE CONCERT!

\/\/\/

The Underground 'Palace' was a spacious venue in back of the underground bazaar, in what had been a Team Rocket hideout years ago. The local talent hallowed this room, as this was the place many of them had first performed. Heimdall peeked out at the audience from the tiny backstage area, grinning at the huge crowd that had gathered for the battle's first round. Many of his friends had shown up to watch, and he would not disappoint them.

Vengeance was performing second, right after their competitors. They chatted up members of The Incredibly Deadly Seviper to ease their nerves. Secrets Beneath Tohjo Falls performed four songs that all sounded about the same. They had an enjoyable sound. The members of Vengeance were convinced they could outplay them, and Fuchsia could hardly contain her excitement.

The set began with 'Pikachu', after which Fuchsia introduced the members of the band by name. 'Forever Clocks in Five Minutes' was a song in the key of short, lasting under a minute, with lyrics about relationships and feelings. 'The Vengeance of Cubone's Mother' was a much longer song, dark and heavy with lots of breaks and solos and other sonic chaos.

The concept for this song was dark also. It was the story of a Cubone whose mother was killed by poachers while they attempted to steal the baby to sell. The mother's ghost possessed one of the criminals and killed off the others, and the Cubone killed the one its mother had taken over. Before the spirit departed, she bequeathed her skull to the baby, which it now wore as a helmet. Heimdall had written the song after reading a story told by World Champion Red.

Next was 'Traffic Officer', the newest song, which told the tale of a man that worked only one job for his entire life, only to be replaced with a machine. The concept had come from Shannon, and they had written the song over Heimdall's new riff. Heimdall and Shannon switched out guitars in favor of seven-string guitars, as this composition required the seventh string's lower notes. Dennis traded up to a five-string bass.

" _EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!_

 _They will never understand! This is all I know!_

 _All they care is that their machine will be the star of the show._

 _'You don't have to do this anymore! Our technology has come so far!'_

 _They don't know how it feels to be tossed aside after working so long and hard._

 _HOW CAN YOU THROW ME AWAY AFTER ALL THE YEARS I'VE GIVEN YOU!_

 _'GET A JOB!'? THE MACHINES TOOK THEM ALL! WHAT IS THERE FOR ME TO DO?!_ "

Here a drums-and-bass interlude came, a rest from the onslaught of guitars and energy, Heimdall sang over this section, the guitars building up around his vocals.

" _I read about it in the news every day. I never thought it could happen to me._

 _Labeled as worthless and out of date._

 _Fit for nothing but to sit behind a desk and waste away. How could this be my fate?_

 _This cannot be my fate._

 _I CANNOT END THIS WAY!_ "

Shannon offered a blistering guitar solo, setting the crowd ablaze again. They always seemed to go mad for Shannon's solos, as they were rare and incredible. He preferred to play the background if he could get away with it.

" _You will never understand because now it is all you know._

 _The technology lives life for you. It's tragic, I think so._ "

"Thank you so much!" Fuchsia offered as their audience cheered maniacally. "Again, we are The Vengeance of Cubone's Mother from Olivine City. On the drums, we have _Vermilion Summer_!" Vermilion did a drum roll at the sound of her name. "Keeping the low end steady is _Dennis Thorn_!" Dennis answered his call with a hard slap of his bottom two strings. _CHUN!?_ "On the guitars, Arceus has blessed us with _Shannon Kiwi_ and _Heimdall Erickson_!" The two brothers played a harmony run. "And, last and least, I'm Fuchsia Skye on the microphone." Fuchsia offered no display, as they'd heard her more than enough. "Okay, so Shannon and Heimdall will be singing this one, as they do it much better than me. This is our last song, and we thank you for your consideration."

And so, the band went right into 'The Dragon's Lake', their ballad about the Lake of Rage. Softer than usual but still heavy, this was a tune they'd almost forgotten about until the battle. The five of them left the stage as they finished, the members of Lava Cookie preparing their gear.

The band surveyed their potential competition, paying extra attention to Here There Be Dragonite! and Dearest Misty. Those two both won, so they would face each other at the second round in Lilycove. Vengeance was to face off with Seviper, just as Heimdall had guessed. Johto had made a sweep of it, you might say.

The band packed up their gear and left for Dennis's house once the show had ended. Lorelei got Christmas, her **Delibird** , to chill the sodas that Dennis had forgotten to toss into the fridge. DELIBIRD IS SO CUTE!

"Quiet, you sorry bunch of riffraff!" Heimdall joked as he asked for everyone's attention, raising his soda can for a toast. "You guys are the best band I've ever played with, although Shania would kick my face in if she heard me say that, and it is quite an honor to enter this battle with my best friends ever. Now get ready to show out, ya bums, WE'RE GOING TO HOENN NEXT WEEK!" They all tapped their soda cans together. Vermilion cheered about seeing her family again. A knock came to the door, and Dennis opened it to see Lemon and Shania. Lemon punched Heimdall in the shoulder.

"How could you not tell me my sister was in Johto?" He asked.

"We were too busy promoting the show!" Heim replied, twisting a small lock of Lemon's glorious purple hair between his hands. "Hey, now we can hang out with her like we talked about at the Pagan Heart show!" He couldn't argue with that. The lot of them talked the night away, reminiscing about old times and such. They played cards and dominoes, shared stories, and drank far too many sodas, as they normally did.

Hey, sodas are tasty, and there are drinks more detrimental to one's health.

Shania appreciated the opportunity to hang out with Heimdall. She hadn't seen him in ages, since moving to Kanto to start a band with **Manfred Quinn**. She had met Heimdall in the cafe' one random day, while out running errands for her mom. They were both waiting in line for their food, and Shania had noticed his guitar. She asked him to play a song, 'Thank You Very Much', and as he played and sang she produced her flute and played along. The entire cafe' clapped for them. Later, the two of them jammed with her brother, eventually forming a band and even playing shows.

Then they disbanded due to the stress of jobs and such, and Shania moved to Saffron to form Manny Quinn and the Usual Stiffs, which eventually turned into Chesto and the Razz Berries through a number of lineup and style changes. She now lived in Cerulean City, though she was scarcely ever home, given all the touring. Playing music for a living was her favorite thing about her life, but missing her loved ones could take its toll.

"So, what have you dragged me out into the lights of the city for, Miss Berries?" Heimdall asked her as she and Lemon were leaving.

"We're playing Chez Whitney this Monday, and Dennis wants to surprise his girlfriend by bringing her to hear us. Do you know what her favorite song of ours is?" She asked him, the streetlamps reflecting off her lenses.

"Your cover of 'Once Around The Block' is her favorite song in the universe. I might have to sneak into that show, too." She smiled at his kind words.

"Perhaps you could even sing with us." She suggested. He grinned at the sentiment.

"I'd be terrible." He joked. She hugged him tightly for a long moment.

"I've missed you so much. Taking over the world is lonely without you and Lemon, but you'll be right there with us soon enough."

"I guess I'd better not keep you waiting. I love you, dude." He returned, a small smile across his beard.

"Of course you do! Everyone loves me!" She joked. The two parted ways as she found Lemon's house. Heimdall walked back to the party at Dennis's. He'd had the most wonderful time ever tonight. He couldn't wait for Round Two.

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

 **((A/N: Rachael's name is pronounced RUH-KEE-UHL. I only say so because I myself keep forgetting. XD ANYWAY ONWARD TO THE HOENN REGION!))**

 **Recommended Listenings:**

 **'The First Punch' by Pierce the Veil**

 **'Pokemon Tower' and 'Lake of Rage' by familyjules7x**

 **'Demolition Lovers' by My Chemical Romance**


	4. Right Back At It Again

**((If you're still with me, we're almost through! A couple more gigs and some shenanigans in between, with some hopefully decent jokes in the mix))**

 **Chapter Four: Right Back At It Again**

"Dennis," Lorelei told him, "I feel extremely silly walking through the city wearing a blindfold." Monday evening was here, and Dennis was leading her to their surprise date. All he'd told her was that she would love it, and she was unsure of that. Her workday had been long and arduous, and getting to Goldenrod was a trial all its own, so she was worn out. Crowded trains and rough workdays she did not like, so hopefully, she _would_ love this night out.

"Well, we're here, baby. You can take it off now." He replied, much to her delight. She tore the cloth away from her eyes. Before her stood a short, stout building she could not place. She saw the edge of a sign above them, stepping out from beneath the spearhead awning with the pale pink cloth. Her eyes turned to stars as she saw the sign in its full splendor and realized where he'd brought her.

 _WE CAME TO DANCE WITH THE GIRLS WITH THE STARS IN THEIR EYES! DO THE JUMP-BACK-JACK, STOP, AND SLIDE TO THE RIGHT!_ That wasn't even the lyric I was going for, but it's more fitting anyhow.

" _Chez Whitney_? This is the nicest restaurant in Johto! Thank you so much, Dennis!" She jumped into his arms and kissed him passionately. Dennis grinned knowingly as they walked inside.

"Anything for you..." He told her. The Maitre D appeared and showed them to their seats, asking them what they would like to drink.

"I'd like a Tropical Pikachu, please," Lorelei answered.

"I'll take the Hunson Abadeer, my good man," Dennis told him. The gentleman left the couple to settle into their table. Lorelei gazed around the eatery and noticed a stage at the back.

"Ooh, do you think there will be a band tonight?"

"I think I can hear amplifiers humming..." He lied, keeping the secret the best he could. A waitress, dressed to the top in a tuxedo-style uniform, appeared with the couple's drinks and menus for them to peruse. Once the server reappeared, Dennis ordered a steak with steamed vegetables, and Lorelei requested a seafood ensemble that looked delectable.

Shortly before their meal arrived, a band began setting up to perform. Lorelei's jaw fell as she noticed them and recognized them all. " _My_ band is playing? How did you know!?"

"Shania found out during the battle the other night and was going to tell you, but I told her it would be a great surprise for you." Dennis grinned as Lorelei's eyes turned to stars. She turned back to him with heart eyes and an ear-to-ear smile, hugging him tightly from across the table and thanking him for such a lovely surprise.

"Sweet Lugia, that's adorable... but could I please get to the table? I have a huge tray and my arm is tired." The waitress joked as she reappeared, the couple's food in tow. The two lovebirds returned to their seats, and the server presented them with their meals. The food looked posilutely, absitively breathtaking. The Razz Berries began their sound check as the couple started their meal.

Shania and **Sylar Saffron** , the band's guitarist, spoke while the rest of the band tightened their tones up. Nia knew her flute would sound perfect, so she waited for the 'all-at-once' check to make certain she'd be heard. Saffron had already checked his guitar and tuned up. **Cherry Blossom** smashed away at her drums to warm up. The set began as Dennis and Lorelei finished their meal, and the couple ordered desserts and a new round of drinks.

"How are you guys doing tonight?" **Manfred 'Manny' Quinn** , the lead singer of the band (who frequently reminded listeners that his name was _not_ Chesto), asked the audience a few songs into the performance. They cheered loudly, Lorelei whistling for her most favorite band in the universe.

"Goldenrod _always_ has the best crowds around!" Manny's wife **Tabitha** spoke from behind her piano.

"As someone might have told you, we are Chesto and the Razz Berries from the beautiful Cerulean City, and we are certainly blessed to have an opportunity to play the greatest city in Johto." Manny's kind words caused the audience to clap and cheer raucously. He backed away from his microphone and beckoned Shania forward. She approached the microphone sheepishly, performing a silly refrain with her flute.

"This has been the comedy portion of the evening..." She joked, the crowd laughing. "Anyway, being in Goldenrod City is always incredible for me because my brother lives here, but last week it was especially exciting. His band smashed and thrashed their way into the second round of a battle of the bands. Go listen to The Incredibly Deadly Seviper, if you don't already." A cheer or two rang out at the mention of Lemon and his cohorts. "Also, my best friend in the world played in the same battle, and his band made it through, too! Check out The Vengeance of Cubone's Mother also." More cheering ensued for Vengeance. "Visiting him was pretty great, and I got to meet some very special people in the process." She nervously twirled her flute in her right hand, forever terrible at speaking to crowds.

"One, in particular, was one of our band's biggest fans, a lovely creation from the glimmering green Celadon City." She continued, Lorelei's mouth falling open. "I'd like to invite her backstage once the show is over, but for now I'd like to play her a song. I hear this one is her favorite..." She walked away from the microphone as **Coffey Bean** began playing his bass guitar.

Lorelei instantly recognized 'Once Around the Block' by Badly Drawn Boy, and she jumped up and grabbed her boyfriend. The two of them danced together, and others began pairing up to join them. Shania played a flute segue that tickled Lorelei's ears. She and Dennis danced for what felt like forever, swaying and dipping in time.

" _You quiver like a candle on fire._

 _I'm putting you out. Maybe tonight we could be the last shout,_

 _But I'm fascinated by your style._

 _Your beauty will last for a while_

 _You're feeling instead of being_

 _The more that I live on the inside, there's nothing to give._

 _I'm infatuated by your moves._

 _I've got to search hard for your clues._

 _I want to repair your desire_

 _and call it a gift that I stole from just wanting to live._

 _Now I see the vision through your eyes._

 _Your innocence no longer fuels surprise._ '

As this verse finished and the instrumental chorus passed again, the six musicians each took short solos. Manny began with an easygoing guitar segue, prompting Sylar to follow with a blistering solo. Shania went next, then Tabitha and Coffey. As Cherry finished her drum solo, Manny played the bridge riff by himself. The band came in as the chorus dropped again.

' _Trying to outrun your fear..._

 _You're running to lose, heart on your sleeve and your soul in your shoes._

 _Take a left, a sharp left and another left,_

 _Meet me on the corner and we'll start again..._ "

Manny fervently thanked the audience, as he frequently did. Lorelei stumbled back to their table, hearts in her eyes.

\/\/\/\/\/

"A smoothie for milady?" Heimdall asked Smoke as he filled the cup storage slots, holding up the last two cups that wouldn't fit. Smoke laughed and nodded, snagging up the cups and making for the back of the store. Heimdall laughed at his adorable coworker. "Smoke, my girlfriend wants to know how you became so adorable." He asked when she reappeared, a smoothie in each hand.

"There's probably something wrong with her eyes..." She joked as she served up his smoothie. "Vermilion thinks every chick she walks by is adorable, so long as she isn't evil." She rolled her silver eyes at the thought of her being 'adorable."

"Well, she thinks Mina is cute, and Mina is _quite_ evil, wouldn't you say?"

" _And it's so easy when you're eeeevil~_!" She sang, Heimdall smirking at the lyric.

" _This is the life, you see. The Devil tips his hat to me._ " He continued.

 _I do it all because I'm evil, and I do it all for freeeee!_

 _ **YOUR TEARS ARE ALL THE PAY I'LL EVER NEED!**_

Oh, listen to you guys! Glad to hear you enjoy the tunes, at least! I try really hard to keep 'em classy, you know?

 **SURE, ZWEI, WE KNOW! WE JUST LIKE COMPLAINING!**

Okay, Sparx the Dragonfly. Oooh, Spyro!

Sorry, on with the pummeling.

"Do you ever feel like you randomly hear somebody talking to a crowd lately, Smoke?" Heimdall suddenly asked. Oh no, they might have found me out... Should I panic yet?

"Yeah, I hear ZweI all the time. He has an awful habit of talking to his characters, and he really likes to get his nonexistent audience involved." The silver head answered, twirling a lock of her lovely hair. "Aww, thanks, ZweI. I _do_ love my hair."

You should, sweetheart. It's pouffy and crazy and silver... Wait, you aren't supposed to talk back to me.

"Well, _you're_ writing this miserable mess of a story. That's what you get for listening to Coheed and Cambria!"

"Hey, that's my favorite band in the world!" Heimdall snapped. "This god figure you're talking to must be an alright guy."

Thanks a million, Heimdall, but I'm actually pretty terrible.

FUCK YOU BICYCLE! I KNOW HOW TO WRITE A STORY!

 **CEASE THESE SHENANIGANS, ZWEI!**

...okay...

A _ding_ from the door set them into I MUST SERVE THE CUSTOMER OR THE PIZZA GODS WILL STRIKE ME DOWN WHERE I STAND mode. Heimdall began the standard greeting before he noticed the bright orange hair in front of him. " _Orange Soda_! What's with you, Pikachu?"

"Trying to find folks to write new music with, since just lyrics don't make for very good tunes..."

"You left Hyper Beam?"

"I was thrown out of Hyper Beam after we lost the battle! It's not my fault we faced off with the heaviest band on the continent!" The pale and lanky young man spoke, flipping his fiery orange hair around. He was tall and thin with toned muscles and freckled skin. His eyes matched his blazing hair. "Whatever, though. I'm moving back to Azalea Town until I can find new music."

"Well, good luck to you, dude. I can't wait to hear new tunes from you." Heimdall told his acquaintance as he rang up Orange's order. Smoke crafted a glorious pizza and cooked it up swiftly as Heimdall chatted with Orange.

"Do you know _every_ musician in Johto, Heim?" She joked after Soda had left. Heimdall chuckled.

"Just about, Steamy, just about..." He replied, receiving more laughter. Their shift went on smoothly, and she hugged him and wished him luck before they left. She would have to miss the second round of the battle because of work. Heimdall walked home and began packing his gear and necessities for the trip to Lilycove. They would make their way to Hoenn by sea, catching a ferry that night. Heim loved the thought of sleeping on a ship.

Once his packing was done, he looked around the house for his love. He'd heard her come home, but she had gone straight to packing also. He walked by the bathroom and heard water running. He knocked at the door, and she beckoned him inward. She dried her hair with a towel and pulled on some bedclothes. He hugged her, smiling as her warm skin pressed against his.

Finished with their packing, the two of them made for the bedchamber and crashed out together. A little rest was always appreciated.

\/\/\/

Heimdall awoke to a knock at the front door. The wall clock told him it was 9:30, time to go if they were to make it to the ferry. He tousled Vermilion's teal hair to wake her, but she just made a noise. 'Awww' He thought, kissing her lips. She sprang into consciousness before she knew what had happened. She realized it must be time to go when she gazed out the window and saw nighttime had fully arrived.

She tossed on new clothes as he answered the door. Lorelei was with the band, surprising him.

"You get to come with us?" Vermilion asked as she appeared, a backpack filled up with Poke'Balls that housed their equipment on her back. She had chosen to wear brown jeans and a Kingler Kult band shirt. Lorelei nodded as Heimdall grabbed the rest of the luggage.

The six of them walked South down the beach, making for the harbor. The bright light of the lighthouse enveloped the city beneath it in a pale glow. Heimdall looked upon the light cast on the great ocean. He was proud of his home city, often calling it the best in the world and claiming that Goldenrod had nothing on it. Sure, Goldenrod had bright lights and venues and things to do, but it had no ocean or lighthouse tower to admire. There was no beach with pure white sands for him to wiggle his toes around in after a long work day, no peaceful nights by the shore or just off the mainland with his sweet Vermilion, and outdoor practice would be nearly impossible in the largest city in Johto.

He felt bad for Dennis sometimes. Since he'd been raised in **Hearthome City, Sinnoh** 's bustling metropolis, he was always moving too fast. He never ceased his hurrying, rushing for no reason at all. He kept only a few Poke'mon: Graveyard, Gandalf, Mordor, and the incredible **Tyson** , the **Machamp** he'd raised as a child. He'd caught a **Machop** while spelunking in **Mount Coronet** , the enormous mountain at the center of his native Sinnoh region. Tyson was Dennis's prized Poke'mon, and he had won every battle he'd been in since he'd evolved into **Machoke**.

Heimdall did have his qualms about Dennis, as he was not Heimdall's sort of person. He was filled to bursting with negativity. He was a phenomenal musician though, and his playing fit their music well. None of them could stand him, but they would have to deal for the time being.

"Boarding passes, please!" The guard asked the six of them as they appeared at the dock. They entered the small and speedy SeaGallop ferry, and a **Sailor** showed them to their cabins. Fuchsia and Shannon stayed in a cozy cabin with one bed, the other couples sharing a larger one with two beds. They all settled in just as the ship departed.

\/\/\/\/\/

The breathtaking sight of Lilycove City by the sunrise took their eyes away as they stepped off the ship and left the docks. They walked through the city in search of Cove Lily Hotel to book their room for that night. Once they'd stowed all their things away, the couples parted ways for a day of miniature adventures. Dennis and Lorelei made a trip to Slateport City to hit up the enormous bazaar and hang out at the beach. Shannon and Fuchsia stuck around Lilycove to experience the **Art Museum** , catch a few **Contest Spectaculars** at the lovely **Contest Hall** , and indulge in a bit of shopping at the department store.

Vermilion and Heimdall found their way to **Verdanturf Town** to visit her family for the day. The tiny town of Vertandturf was a quiet settlement a few miles to the West of **Mauville City** , a crossroads city in the approximate center of Hoenn. There was more to do in Mauville, restaurants and a revived **Game Corner** and unique shops, but Verdanturf was a nicer place to live. Surrounded by nature and trees and crisp air, Vermilion could remember wasting days simply lying out in the grass or walking in the wilderness to have alone time. The forest to her was the ocean to her lover: her sanctuary, her home.

Vermilion's family liked Heimdall well enough, though her mother, **Maple** , was far less than fond of him. She cracked crude jokes for the entirety of their stay, though **Cinnamon** would urge her to stop. Vermilion's father could only say so much, and when Vermilion had finally had her fill, her siblings appeared in the front doorway. **Justin** and **Windy** hugged their sister and took she and Heimdall to one of their rooms to catch up.

"I'm so sorry about her attitude," Vermilion confessed on their flight back home.

"Don't worry, she can make all the jokes she wants. You love me, so I don't really need _her_ to love me." He chortled. The two of them gazed at the ground as they passed over the wonderful **Fortree City** , a nature-infused city where the residents built their houses in the trees. Heimdall loved the city's clean air and healthy folks, as well as **Winona's** Gym. Domino remembered battling her Flying-Types, including her incredible **Altaria**. The two Pokemon had soared high above the Gym floor, lunging at each other and launching ranged attacks across the sky.

"That was a beautiful city..." Heimdall's translator pendant spoke. He smiled at his memories. Before much longer, they made land in front of the hotel in Lilycove. They checked into the room to find Dennis and Shannon quietly practicing, Shannon on an acoustic guitar and Dennis playing his bass unplugged. Fuchsia couldn't very well practice her vocals quietly, but she sang along from behind her laptop computer. Heimdall picked up an acoustic guitar, Vermilion grabbed a shaker and a tambourine, and the two of them jumped right into the practice.

The set for Round Two was to contain a new song, an interlude, and a cover of 'Gravemakers and Gunslingers' by the incredible Coheed and Cambria. Heimdall was excited to play that, as it was his most favorite song by his most favorite band, and he would get to sing lead for it.

"So the set goes 'Pikachu', 'Forever', 'Traffic Officer', 'Gravemakers', 'Vengeance', the interlude, and finish with 'Weather', right?" Lorelei asked them. Heimdall nodded. None of them could stand to wait any longer.

\/\/\/

The Purple Mudkip was a cozy club in Northeast Lilycove, just the sort of venue that got **Johnny Reznov** 'sgears spinning. Being right next to his crowd would make his performance that much more fun. "Do you think you guys can beat either of those bands if you get past us?" He asked Vermilion. The teal-haired beauty scoffed and swung her hair.

"They'll have to scrape you guys off the floor, and whoever wins the other battle will be splattered around Saffron!" She replied triumphantly. John grinned.

"You guys at least have the confidence! Our new song is pretty slamming, though!" William Thompson spoke from behind John.

"What a coincidence, Billiam, we have a new song also!" Heimdall returned, shaking the mustachioed gentleman's hand. An attendant appeared to tell Vengeance to set up and check, so they took to the stage with their instruments. They had forty minutes to play and planned to use as many of them as possible.

"HEE HEE HEE HEEEE SHABUTIE!" Heimdall shrieked between the Coheed song and 'Vengeance'. The tight audience laughed loudly at the misplaced reference. The clean and jazzy interlude led into the newest song, 'They That Made the Weather'. This song told a story of Hoenn's mythical Poke'mon: **Kyogre** of the sea, **Groudon** of the land, and **Rayquaza** of the sky.

The myths told of a cataclysmic battle between Kyogre and Groudon that formed the land and sea. Groudon caused droughts and raised mountains from the raw earth, while Kyogre summoned torrential rainstorms and carved out oceans. Just as the world was nearly consumed by their war, Rayquaza descended from the sky and calmed the two of them. The three of them parted ways afterward: Kyogre to the bottom of the sea, Groudon to the lava deep within the earth, and Rayquaza to the highest reaches of the sky.

The song was Vermilion's new favorite, as she got to perform a freestyle solo in the midst of it. It also contained complex guitar wizardry, with Shannon altering his guitar's tuning and Heimdall switching guitars repeatedly during the song. The five of them thanked the crowd and tore their rigs down as the song ended, only needing to watch the remaining bands.

"SO, put your hands up for my beachside brothers and sisters in THE VENGEANCE OF CUBONE'S MOTHER! I taught 'em everything they know!" Johnny told his crowd near the end of Seviper's sound check, the crowd cheering and then laughing at his joke. "Anyway, I'm the one called Johnny Reznov, and standing before you is _The Incredible Deadly Seviper_ from the greatest city in Johto. Back in Goldenrod and surrounding settlements, the critics say we're the heaviest band around. Would you guys mind proving them right?" At that cue, Lemon Berries quickly rapped a cymbal and the onslaught began. Their music was, indeed, brutally heavy, but it was also intricate and tasteful.

Ergo, it didn't sound like toxic sludge, as the monumentally heavy music sometimes does...

The Incredibly Deadly Seviper wrote concept music, like Vengeance did, writing lyrics about history and Pokemon mythology. Their most popular song, 'The Ancient's Secrets' was a story of a person losing their mind while exploring the **Ruins of Alph**. The song had been written by Lemon and Heimdall for their old band, The Two Towers. A strange radio broadcast during a visit to the Ruins had inspired Heimdall, and he and his cohorts had turned it into a tune that had been their favorite to play at the few concerts they'd done in their time together.

Lemon and Blackberry had brought the song over when they formed The Incredibly Deadly Seviper, bringing the song to a new level with Thompson's guitar wizardry and John's bass and vocals.

"We're gonna finish off with this new song, 'Criminal Casino Condemnation'. Thank you all so much for the opportunity to share our art, and may the best band win!" Johnny spoke before they began their final song. Heimdall's eyes widened at the technical fury of this song. Both Blackberry and William were playing at the top of their skill levels, and Lemon was drumming faster than Heim thought possible.

"I've never seen Vines play a solo before," Shannon told him.

"I didn't think B.B. could play like that... He had _all of his fingers_ on the fretboard..." Heimdall replied, taken aback by the scintillatingly scary skills. Ooh, alliteration is amazing and awe-inspiring.

Let me not waste more of your time with wordplay.

Dearest Misty and Here There Be Dragonite! were to battle now. Cianwood City's Dearest Misty had an intriguing stage setup: eight **Electrodes** were arranged in a circle around them on poles. The band had trained them to use weak jolts of electricity to flash in time with the music and each other, essentially becoming living strobe lights.

During the third song in their set, one of the Electrodes exploded suddenly, fainting and setting off a chain reaction of BOOMS. The untimely blasts damaged the venue's stage and some instruments, even injuring their singer that had been standing too close. Heimdall suspected that the band would not train their Electrodes to explode in the middle of the set, though it might make for a good ending to the set. They may have been sabotaged. Would the other band stoop so low?

Searching for signs of interference, he saw a large stone on the floor... that moved when he approached it. The **Geodude** had fainted from the trouble, and a spot adorned its stone face. Heim took a **Super Potion** from his bag and sprayed the poor Pokemon. He saw someone run for the door in his peripheral vision.

"GET HIM!" Johnny yelled, springing members of his own band and the others into a chase. It seemed the culprit had escaped until a Steelix burst through the earth and began to rampage. There was a crazed look in the metal snake's bright red eyes. The saboteur had forced the poor snakey to consume enhancement supplements until it went berserk. Too many Rare Candies can make for a bad day, kids. Just say NO! ...Or know when enough is too much, at least.

"Link, take it down!" Shannon commanded as he sent forth his **Tyranitar**. The enormous reptile was his prized Pokemon, as well as the brother Pokemon to Heimdall's Dragonite.

"Domino, assist your brother!" Heimdall called. The dragon and the lizard assaulted the steel serpent, but it wrapped around Link with its **Constrict** attack and spewed its **Dragonbreath** at Domino. Heimdall and Shannon returned their Pokemon before they fainted. "Dennis! If you have Tyson with you, now would be a great time for him to make an appearance..." Denny was far ahead of him, though, the Machamp appearing next to its Trainer.

"Give him the old smash and grab, Tyson!" Dennis commanded. Tyson grinned as he lunged for the Steelix with its four mighty fists, throwing repeated **Power-Up Punch** attacks to boost its Attack strength. He then gave a devastating **Cross Chop** that finally subdued the beastly snake. Suddenly a stream of red light hit the Steelix and it disappeared. The club's security followed the beam and ran down the criminal... who turned out to be a former member of Dearest Misty.

"Thanks, Chris. We'll probably be disqualified just because you're still mad! A Kingler Kult tour would have been nice..." **Sven Sheer** , Dearest Misty's singer, told his former cohort as the authorities carted him away. Sheer brushed one of his black dreadlocks away from his face. Vermilion offered them Vengeance's instruments so they could finish their set.

The judges ruled in favor of The Vengeance of Cubone's Mother and Dearest Misty. "Dudes, you might win this whole thing! Show our music to Kingler Kult if you meet them!" Lemon told Heimdall. Blackberry assured them that they would come out to the Saffron show to support. The two winning bands faced each other, shaking hands and wishing one another well.

"You got to keep him?" Dennis asked Heimdall once he noticed the Geodude following him.

"He was wild, so I caught him. The guy must've yanked him out of the grass and snuck him into the club." Heimdall replied, stroking his beard.

"What are you gonna call him?" Shannon asked expectantly.

"His name shall be called... _Sabotage_!" He answered. Geodude smiled at this. "He seems to like it!" Heim bragged. They had checked out of the hotel before the show, so they made for the harbor in the southwest corner of the city. They found the ferry docked, so they boarded early and took to their cabins. They all crowded into a larger cabin to celebrate together. They now had two weeks to prepare to battle Dearest Misty at the **Mr. Mime** club in Saffron City.

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

 **((A/N: I imagine Seviper sounding something like Amon Amarth, and Dearest Misty was originally based on Miss May I. If that means anything to you folks, I mean. Anyway, one more to go. Catch ya later!))**

 **Recommended Listenings:**

 **'Right Back At It Again' by A Day To Remember**

 **'Once Around the Block' by Badly Drawn Boy (preferably the long live version with the full band)**

 **'Gravemakers and Gunslingers' by Coheed and Cambria**

 **'Ruins of Alph / Union Cave' and 'Team Rocket Hideout' by familyjules7x**

 **And for good measure I'll go ahead and add 'When You're Evil' By Voltaire**


	5. The Final Cut

**((And finally, our thrilling conclusion... or something like a thrilling conclusion. Whatever. Stay tuned after the chapter for acknowledgments and such. Thank you to anyone who actually reads this far. You are so beautiful and I love you! 3 3 3))**

 **Chapter Five: The Final Cut**

"So did you guys ever get any studio time?" Smoke asked from behind the counter. Heimdall shook his head.

"Dennis is holding us all up, being in Sinnoh for some family business or whatever. I'm getting tired of his garbage. It's about time we replaced him." He exhaled sharply, knowing the position that would put the band in and not wanting to be there. They would have to try and hold out until the battle.

"Well, I hope he'll stop messing around long enough to finish the battle. The finals should be epic."

"I just want to get into a studio. Maybe Obsidian will let us rent her studio. These songs need to be on tape." Heimdall's eyes turned to hearts at the thought of all their wonderful new tunes.

"I've heard people raving about 'They That Made the Weather' and that shiny interlude. What other new ones are there?" Smoke asked eagerly. Her best friend's music always made her happy and jumpy.

"Well, the interlude has a name now, 'Play One for Spike Spiegel', and we also have 'The Forest's Protector', which is a song about **Celebi**. We've done a couple of softer songs, too. Like, with Fuchsia actually singing most of the time."

"That should be pretty incredible. Well, I can't wait to see the final round!" He grinned at her words.

"We'll spatter the streets with the sinews of our foes!" He joked as he left Parasect's, making for the record shop. He exchanged un-pleasantries with Veronica before Vermilion appeared and punched out. The couple left after a bit of small talk, walking to band practice. It was a bit empty with no bassist, but they got by well enough.

Fuchsia reached into a cupboard and pulled out an armful of drinking glasses, which she then filled with ice and fresh Lemonade. The four of them sat around the table to enjoy Shannon's incredible spaghetti, this time with Heimdall's special garlic bread.

"So, what are we going to do about Dennis? He was supposed to be home two days ago..." Shannon finally asked the question on everyone's minds, silence meeting his words.

"We may have to get someone to fill in for him. I'm sure Johnny would have no problem doing so." Vermilion suggested.

"I think we should look into a more permanent replacement..." Heim added. "John has his own project to concern himself with, and double duty is never fun. Besides, we've suffered Dennis longer than we deserve, and he's not going to leave by choice."

"Unless he already has... Wouldn't surprise me..." Fuchsia chimed. They fell silent at that, as though none of them had considered the possibility.

\/\/\/\/\/

A few days later, Shannon and Heimdall conducted an interview for Shannon's radio show. Fuchsia and Vermilion were absent for reasons they would prefer I did not mention. Sometimes listening to the characters can work out for all of us. Also, Dennis had yet to show his face, though they had decided that he wasn't coming back, even saying as much at the interview. The amazing **DJ Mary** stepped in to ask the questions, for which Shannon was forever grateful.

"I think that went pretty well, and it was fun to put Dennis on blast." Heimdall chortled. He knew they would be looking for a new bassist or having some dispute with Dennis in the future, but for whatever reason, he was not nervous at all. If Denny showed up and made any trouble, Heim would break his face.

"I'm hoping that doesn't cause any trouble. If anything, maybe he'll get his act together and stop f-SWEET LUGIA THEY HAVE POCKY!" He yelled as he spied a shelf filled to bursting with boxes of delicious pocky sticks. They had such an assortment that choosing a flavor was difficult, but in the end, he went with his favorite: Panda pocky, the cookies-and-cream covered chocolate sticks.

"Holy Ho-oh... is that _banana_ pocky? Don't mind if I do!" Heimdall snatched up a few boxes and tossed them into a handbasket. When did the Department Store's selection become so diverse and wonderful?

"You guys are such pigs!" They heard a woman say. Heim looked up to see Raspberry and Orange walking arm in arm.

"You shut your face, it's POCKY!" Heim joked before hugging the both of them.

"I was really hoping you'd have to interview yourself..." Orange told Shannon.

"That would have been _torrible_!" He responded with a laugh.

" _Herrible_ , even!" Heimdall added.

"Wow, how can anyone hate you two?" Razz mused, hugging Shannon. "So Orange and I are a thing..."

"Glad to hear it!" Her most favorite deejay replied, making her blush and smile.

"So, you guys are playing _all_ originals at the Saffron battle?" Orange asked. Heim nodded. "Well, go slay them, dudes!" He cheered as they all parted ways.

\/\/\/

A knock came at Shannon's door just as the band finished practicing 'Flashing Red Light', a new song with Shannon's lyrics about the Radio Tower's flashing lights. It was performed over Heimdall's nice acoustic jam a few chapters back, the one that reminded him of the National Park. Yes, I said it that way.

 _ALL RIGHT! ENOUGH! I SAID OKAY! YOU CAN COME TOOOOOOO~~~_!

 **DON'T START THAT AGAIN, ZWEI!**

Aww, I thought you guys were gonna sing along again... Fine, I'll sing it myself. DON'T RUN, THAT'S NOOOT FAAAAAIIIIRRRR! DO DO DO! DO DO DO! DO DO DO _DO_ DO! DO DO DO! DO DO DO! DO DO DO! DOO! (DO pronounced dew, not DOH, you're welcome)

 **REALLY!?**

Yes, I'm that guy. No, I don't care if you don't like it... Anyway...

Lorelei appeared in the doorway, her face bright red from crying and her hair disheveled. Fuchsia hugged her tightly. "He left..." was all Lorelei could manage, bursting into a new batch of tears. "He just packed up and moved back to Sinnoh, without a fucking word!"

"That's precisely what we expected." Heimdall sighed audibly. "We figured you'd be with him."

"No, no room for me in his silly little life. He couldn't even say goodbye..."

"Why did he leave in the first place?" Shannon queried, for the sake of full disclosure.

"A job opened up at **Fuego Ironworks** , and he decided he had to scoop it up, so he gave us that trash story about family business." Lore's voice cracked and she cried even more. Fuchsia held her until she finally collected herself. She left soon after, but not before Shannon packed her a bowl of the incredible stew they'd eaten.

As soon as the door clicked closed, Fuchsia lost it. Shannon had to hold her, screaming and crying for her dear friend. Dennis had given them all the shaft in one fell swoop. Now, what would they do for the battle? It was three days away, and it would be improbable for someone to learn all their songs forward and backward before then.

"Veronica's boyfriend Clover plays bass, and he's incredible. He practices in the basement of the shop pretty much all the time, and I don't think he's with a band." Vermilion suggested, walking outside with her Poke'gear. She soon returned with an ear-to-ear grin. "He'll be here shortly." She announced. They played a few tunes to pass the time, and before long came a knock at the door. Shannon beckoned him to enter, and a tall balding man with a thick red beard walked into the room, followed by a **Primeape** carrying a large speaker cabinet.

"Thanks, Ghostmaker." He said, calling the furry monkey back to its home. He unpacked his remaining equipment and his two bass guitars, configured it all and played them a few licks. " **Crimson Clover** at your service... and no, I'm not a Stan Lee character." They laughed at the remark.

"So you prefer the fabulous flavor of five strings..." Heimdall assumed.

"Five is fantastic, for sure, but the low end is legitimately lovely in general," Clover replied with a smile, stroking his beard.

"You're leagues better than our former idiot. Can you learn our music before the battle?"

"I know some of them already from going to your shows. I'm sure I can learn the rest of them."

"Alright, let's play some tunes!" Fuchsia commanded. Vermilion played a beat, and the other followed. Clover got the position, playing exceptionally well with Vengeance.

\/\/\/

'Lawrence... are you awake?' Heimdall thought loudly, that his **Gardevoir** might hear. He was sitting at the edge of a pier, watching the ocean waves since he couldn't find sleep. The situation was weighing on his mind. He no longer cared about the battle or the Kingler Kult tour. He only cared about the fate of his band.

'You keep me in a **Heal Ball** , dear. I'm always awake. What do you require of me, Heimdall?" She replied telepathically. The deceptively named Lawrence was the only Pokemon Heim did not require a translator to speak with, as well as the only one who called him by name. Domino and Inferno the **Typhlosion** called him 'Brother', and his other companions called him 'Boss' or some equivalent.

'I'm sorry I've been thinking so loudly, but I'd like to vent to you, dear.'

'I don't mind at all, my love. I would like to see the moon, though, so could you send me out?" She asked in return. He pulled the pink Ball from his belt and opened it. 'So what did you need to say?' The green-skinned figure asked him, gazing at him with bright orange eyes.

'Dennis left, as you know, but I keep thinking he'll show back up and cause trouble at the show or something. We're all worried about the fate of the band. This could be the end of us, Law.'

'Well, it won't be, Heimdall. This band does have a future, indeed. I've seen it... it looks _exquisite._ " She replied as she gazed at the moon and began glowing softly. She was taking in lunar energy from its light, much like she did when she used her **Moonblast** attack.

'Well, what happens next?' He asked expectantly, making her giggle cutely.

'A lady never tells her secrets.' She joked. He rolled his eyes, and she patted him on the shoulder. 'It's really good, though.'

'The future isn't set in stone, Law.'

'Says the one who cannot see it!' She retorted as she stopped glowing.

'Well, thank you for the help.'

'Anytime. Now go get some rest, you crazy man. You have a big night soon.' The Gardevoir hugged him and ruffled his hair before pressing the button on her Ball and returning to her home in a flash of red light. He caught the ball as it fell, placing it on his belt before walking back home.

\/\/\/\/\/

The Mr. Mime in Saffron City was a far larger club than the Purple Mudkip, almost the size of the Underground Palace. It was a lot nicer than the Palace, of course, housing an arcade and games. There was also a small diner off to one side. Fuchsia and Shannon stood outside the venue channeling their energies. Vermilion was backstage smashing away at her drums to clear her head. Clover was playing a game in the back. Heimdall was talking to Lorelei when it happened.

Dennis Thorn walked into the venue.

Heimdall looked at Lorelei, a 'You want me to kill him?' sort of look. She shook her head and marched right up to the offender, grabbing his shoulder and making him look her in the eyes.

"Anything to say for yourself?" She demanded, though he apparently could not find the words. "Fine, I'll say my peace and be done with it. You were fake, I was great. Nothing personal." She spoke, turning away. He tried to reply to her, but Heimdall pushed him away from her.

"I can't believe you bothered to show your face here! I hope you're happy in Sinnoh."

"Heim-"

"Don't bother. Just get lost before I decide I want to break your face. I'd rather not get disqualified because of you." With that, Heim walked to the backstage. The show soon began, Vengeance playing the same set from the Purple Mudkip. The cover they replaced with 'The Forest's Protector', and they tossed 'The Dragon's Lake' in somewhere. The five of them took solos throughout the set. Despite the stress and animosity, Heimdall was certain they'd played the best show they had in them.

"We are The Vengeance of Cubone's Mother from Olivine City! Thank you so much for this opportunity!" Fuchsia told the crowd and judges excitedly as they finished their set.

Dearest Misty played a glorious set that featured seven of their songs and a cover, 'Relentless Chaos' by Miss May I. Their Electrode setup worked properly this time, the eight Pokemon simultaneously exploding at the end of the set. The two bands shook hands as the judges deliberated.

Dearest Misty walked away as the winners, securing a record deal with Dubious Discs and a spot on the upcoming Kingler Kult tour. Everyone cheered for the five young men from Cianwood City.

\/\/\/

"Do we really have to go to the Palace? _WE LOST_!" Fuchsia complained as they stepped off the train. A handful of their friends had put together an after party for them. Fuchsia didn't feel like facing them, having lost the bout.

"They went to the trouble to put it together, we might as well go have a good time." Shannon convinced her. They made their way to the Palace, the room falling quiet as they entered. Everyone stared at them, waiting for an answer to the obvious question.

"We put up quite the fight, but we have come home the losers! Everyone be sure to catch Dearest Misty when Kingler Kult comes around. Anyway, where's the party?" Heimdall answered them. Everyone cheered for them. Seviper and Vengeance played a set together with more than a few guests: Smoke, Raspberry, and even Obsidian sang with them all. Vermilion even won a drum contest against Lemon, a sign of her improvement and a huge inflation to her ego.

"Well, that was a nice party for a handful of losers, huh?" Shannon mused. The street lamps had opened their drowsy eyes, bathing the streets in their orange glow. The flashing red light atop the Radio Tower was now in full view. It reminded Shannon of how far he'd come and how well he was doing for himself. He'd been through quite a lot in his relatively young life.

His youth in **Violet City** had not been a grand one. His mother, **Coconut** , and his siblings he loved dearly. His so-called father he hated the thought of, as he had demeaned everyone around and even abused Shan and his family. The last day he lived in that house, Shannon had finally fought back. He was nearly eighteen and the sorry excuse for a man had hit his mother, and Shannon stomped him into the floor for it. The vile creature stormed out to find a fight he could win, losing a battle with a bottle of liquor.

Kiwi left on an adventure shortly after, writing to his mother and siblings as often as time permitted. Then he'd met Heimdall and eventually Fuchsia, the two most important people in his life.

"I'm just glad it's finally over..." Vermilion mentioned, bringing Shannon back to the present. Heimdall asked Lawrence to warp the whole crew home.

\/\/\/\/\/

"Welcome to Parasect's Pizza in Olivine City!" Mina told the customer entering the shop. A few weeks had come and gone since the battle, and things were back to normal for Heimdall and company. He and Smoke were in the back of the store prepping sheet-outs. The night shift, which was actually more like evening, had been in full swing, but the rush had just ended and things were slowing down. As they finished their last stack of the evening, Smoke moved up to the dressing station. Heimdall asked Mina for a break.

"Sure, my good man. In fact, you have a visitor." She told him. He walked into the lobby to see Shania. The two of them walked outside together. Heimdall shivered as an evening breeze tickled him. They leaned against a wall on the side of a building, Shania sipping a soda while Heimdall gazed at a street lamp.

"Dude, the record is incredible." She began. "The whole band has been jamming it since you sent it to me..."

"Glad to hear it. We rented out Pagan Heart's home studio since they just left for tour. Anyway, what tears you away from your tour to come see me?" He asked his dear friend.

"Well, I won't be off again until the end of this short tour, so I figured I'd stop in. We play Ecruteak tomorrow night, and then Blackthorn the night after that."

"I'll tell Moms to go watch you! What happens after this tour?"

"We finally have some decent time off before we set out to take over the world again... which is what I actually came to talk to you about..."

"Okay?" He wondered what she meant by that.

"Well, Manny loves your music so much, and your live show... and he wants the world to love it all, too." She smiled as his eyes widened, realizing what was coming next. "He would like to invite you guys on our world tour. It's supposed to last about five months."

"When does it start?"

"September 8th. Can you guys be ready by then?"

"Hell, we're ready now!" He answered, hugging her tightly. "Thank you so much! For everything that you've done for me. I wish I could repay you somehow." He told her as he pulled out of the hug.

"Well, you could start by not making me regret helping you out! Although I'm certain I will not." She joked, brushing her purple hair away from her face. He could hardly contain his excitement. "I can't wait to share a stage with you again, Heimdall. It's been far too long since The Two Towers."

"You know, I always knew you'd be the best thing Johto would ever see. Ever since that day in the cafe'."

"I'm sure you will surpass me soon enough." She grinned again. Her Poke'gear beeped, the sound drawing out a sigh. "Alas, I must be off yet again. Farewell, Heimdall of House Erickson." She complained as they hugged one more time, enjoying the warmth.

"To you also, Shania of House Berries, and I'll see you soon." He replied as they pulled apart. He walked back into the restaurant, giddy beyond words.

The Vengeance of Cubone's Mother spent the next month practicing incessantly to prepare.

\/\/\/\/\/

 **9-1-2013**

 _Dear Mom and Sergio_

 _I won't be able to write you guys that often, but I'll call as much as possible. We're leaving in seven days for the tour, and we'll be all over the world for five months. I can hardly contain my excitement._

 _I love you both so much! The band, Smoke, Shania, and everyone else send their love too. I'll see you in about half a year._

 _Love,_

 _Heimdall_

\/\/\/\/\/

When the day came, they met up with the Razz Berries and departed. The tour stretched across **Unova** and **Kalos** and everywhere in between. Vengeance and the Razz Berries truly were taking over the world. Manny got the band an audition for their label, **Mismagius Music** , and they got a deal to release their full-length album, **Olivine Beach**. A headlining tour supporting the record came next, on which they brought The Incredibly Deadly Seviper and **Rainmaker Well** , Orange and Raspberry's band. This tour was Vengeance's big break, as well as Seviper's, the two of them conquering the world with their tunes.

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

 **Recommended Listenings:**

 **'The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut' by Coheed and Cambria**

 **'Break Your Little Heart' by All Time Low**

 **'Super OK' by Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer**

 **And I know I recommended it earlier, but 'National Park' by familyjules7x is the basis for 'Flashing Red Light'.**

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

 **So I wrote this story four or five years ago, in what seems like a different life. I worked at a pizza joint not unlike Parasect's, but I would sooner not be sued so I will withhold the name. I have lost touch with most of the people from that job, though a few still have some means of contacting me. Mostly social media, but whatever. At that time, my best friend was writing the first installment of 'Pokemon Ocean Eyes' slowly but surely. A one-liner that he wrote, a character based on me answering a phone and saying 'Thank you for calling Parasect's Pizza, how can I help you?' or something to that end, is what inspired me to write this story.**

 **Initially it was just me telling the woes of working in pizza, using the Pokemon world as a backdrop, and essentially writing a fanfic about a local band from where I live. The characters eventually evolved, no pun intended, into their own beings.**

 **I let my bestie read the rough-ish draft, and he really enjoyed it. Not as much as he would eventually enjoy 'The Murder Scene', my finest work, but that's neither here nor there. He actually considered mentioning my characters in his own work, which would be an honor, but timelines didn't work out or something.**

 **Anyway, at some point I was inspired to come back to Parasect's, probably because I had written quite a bit of related material, and about a year ago I completely rewrote the whole story. If you saw the rough-ish draft and this one, you could definitely tell the stylistic differences. Especially the 'audience participation' stuff. There was a good bit of that in 'Umbrella Beach' as well as a completely unrelated story from a different author. I also added new characters based on the wonderful folks my bestie was living with, and changed a couple characters because reasons.**

 **I would like to thank everyone that took part in this story, everyone who reads it this far, and most importantly** rainbowhuesoflife **for writing the incredible saga of the Sea Monsters crew and inspiring this load of garbage from my twisted mind.**

 **I will be posting some related media soon, or so I would like to believe. WAHAHAHAHAH**

 **Thanks again, all of you. ZweI OUT!**


End file.
